


The Ant That Roared- Or, The Avengers

by OrangeAvatar



Series: Monsters and Marvels [1]
Category: Chronicle (2012), John Wick (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, XCOM (Video Games) & Related Fandoms
Genre: Canon Continuation, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Multiple Crossovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2020-10-24 21:58:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 37,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20713190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrangeAvatar/pseuds/OrangeAvatar
Summary: Loki's bold destruction of the nascent XCOM project prompts the formation of the Avengers, including formerly retired assassin John Wick and young telekinetic Matt Garetty. A retelling of the Avengers' story, compliant with pre-2012 canon, in a wider world.





	1. Welcome, Rookies

“You know, I thought SHIELD was supposed to be an intelligence agency,” said Rhodes, “not some sci-fi rapid response outfit.”

“We’re whatever the American people need us to be. You know that.” Coulson said, slight reproach in his voice. He was sitting diagonally across from Rhodes, glancing at his watch every so often.

Rhodes leaned forward. “Agent… Barton, right? You’re the other recruit?” Barton, who had been silent until then, stood, nodded, and said “I am. Career SHIELD agent, infiltration specialist, marksman. I work directly for Nick Fury, but if all goes well today, I’ll be working for Bradford by the end of the night.” Rhodes stood as well, and they shook hands across the middle of the Quinjet.

There was a pause, and the elegant roar of the jet’s engines reasserted itself in the silence. They burned steadily and well, cutting through the night air like a ship through water. In all his days in the Air Force, Rhodes had never heard anything so subdued in its power- supersonic capability, from the tech briefing back at the SHIELD outpost. “Why don’t we have any of these?” he asked, looking around at the Quinjet’s interior. “Dr. Moira Vahlen.” said Agent Coulson, matter-of-factly, “She designed the engines.” 

Rhodes raised his eyebrows. “I was more asking why the Air Force couldn’t afford them, but you could. Now you’re telling me they’re not even Stark tech, you’ve got a private scientist building hardware our contractors could never dream of?”

“Yes.” said Coulson with a hint of amusement, looked at his watch one more time, and then stood, just as the viewscreen lit up. SHIELD’s emblem flashed on the screen, followed by a shield-shaped insignia with a large X and the words “Vigilo Confido”. The screen flickered, and then an unassuming man in a green sweater with a major general’s stars on his shoulder, but no recognizable uniform, appeared. He wore a headset and a stoic expression. Rhodes instinctively saluted, but the man shook his head.

“We don’t do that here, Colonel. This is a SHIELD operation.” he said. He looked over Barton and Rhodes with an appraising eye, then spoke.

“My name is Major General John Bradford, and in the context of this operation I am Central Officer Bradford. This is the XCOM project, a division of SHIELD devoted to maintaining, training and deploying rapid response teams to alien activity across the globe. Agents Coulson and Barton have firsthand experience with alien life. Main Street; Puente Antiguo, New Mexico; last year.” An image of a tall, blond, muscular man with a hammer flashed on screen for a moment, then a video: that same man flying effortlessly through the air, a tornado forming out of what had moments before been a clear blue sky, and a large, mechanical humanoid launching blasts of yellow energy. He deflected them with the hammer, and shortly afterwards the wind seemed to lift the mechanical entity into the sky. Then, a deafening boom, and a massive explosion among the thunderclouds which had spontaneously come into existence above the street. The video cut out.

“Colonel Rhodes, you were not present for the Puente Antiguo battle, but allow me to confirm now,” the man said, returning to the screen, “that what you just saw is not a hoax, is not doctored footage. That entity, who refers to himself as Thor, is an alien creature of personal power dwarfing the offensive capabilities of modern armour, and he is part of a race of such creatures.” He paused to let his words sink in. “He survived that explosion. He is not the only extraterrestrial creature we have confirmed to exist. The specific evidence of other extraterrestrials is classified but understand that what we may be facing is a galaxy full of more advanced species and civilizations. Not all of them will be friendly.”

The camera followed him through a control room featuring a massive holographic globe, and down a staircase into what appeared to be a laboratory, with blinking lights and workstations, and at the far end of the room, a circular housing with an entrancing blue glow emanating from the center, long tubes running from it towards what appeared to be a dais, complete with steps, and surrounded by large rectangular panels, tapered at both ends. A low thrumming could be heard in the background of the video feed- and it certainly wasn’t the Quinjet’s engines. He looked to Agent Coulson, trying to communicate a question- “What’s that?”- but he shook his head and gestured to his watch- “Not yet.”

A steely-eyed, handsome woman in an immaculate lab coat, holding a clipboard in her hands, turned from looking at one of the myriad screens that dotted the lab area and descended a set of steps to stand next to Bradford. She looked at the new recruits with apprehension and judgement. Rhodes adjusted himself slightly, perfecting his posture unconsciously under her withering gaze.

Bradford gestured to the glowing device at the back of the room. “As you may already be aware, the Tesseract is the source of much of our planned technology, with which we intend to reach equal footing with our interstellar visitors. The leader of our science effort is Dr. Moira Vahlen,” he turned his head towards her, “a scientist from the Humboldt University in Berlin, and one of Europe’s leading experts on... “ He looked at a piece of paper in his hand. “Biochemistry, particle physics, materials science, mechanical and energy engineering, quantum computing and artificial intelligence.” Vahlen looked directly at the recruits again, seemingly about to continue the presentation, but instead turned to Bradford and said “Those strange readings we’ve been picking up from the Tesseract are not stopping. I’ve told Dr. Zhang to inform Director Fury while Selvig and I try to figure out what’s going on.”

A flicker of disappointment crossed Bradford’s face at the mention of Fury’s name. “If you’re sure, Doctor.” he said. “I’m always sure.” said Vahlen. Rhodes couldn’t tell whether her accent was French, German or something else entirely. Bradford, stern-faced, turned back to the camera. “Rookies,” he said, “I’ll deliver the rest of the introductions when you’re on the ground. For now, my job is to put the base on alert. These readings, though Vahlen assures me they are anomalous and worthy of concern, will not interfere with your flight plan.” Barton frowned slightly. The video feed cut off. Coulson’s head snapped towards the others and he smirked slightly. “Fury’s going to love this.” he said.

“Why?” Rhodes asked, confused. “And what the hell is a Tesseract, anyway?” he continued.

“The Tesseract,” said Barton, “is an alien artifact recovered by SHIELD shortly after the Second World War. It’s the first of its kind, Vahlen and Erik Selvig are the top experts on its effects, though no one’s completely sure what it does, and-” He looked at Coulson, who was nodding along with his words, “It’s got some sort of connection with Thor, the alien you just saw blow up a robot the size of a small house.” He said all this quite matter-of-factly. Rhodes was getting used to the oddity of the situation already.

“It’s a source of potentially limitless energy and there’s some evidence it can create gates between points in space. HYDRA, a rogue Nazi organization, also used the Tesseract to create energy weapons, which is why it’s underneath a SHIELD military research facility and we have Fury’s protege Bradford keeping a close eye on it. Usually, Barton’s there too, but he came with me to pick you up, at Bradford’s insistence.” Coulson said.

“But why is Fury going to be happy his… secret alien artifact is doing what it’s doing?” asked Rhodes.

“He’s not. I’m sure he’ll be very concerned about that. But he’ll be thrilled that Central needs his help. Central was Fury’s protege for years. He was a lot like you, Department of Defense guy, best of the best, signed on with us to protect the American people. Found himself in deep- not saying you’ll find yourself in deep, of course- but made the most of it. XCOM wasn’t his idea but he became its champion. The biggest thing he ever did that Fury didn’t tell him to.” Coulson said, still smiling slightly. “And now he’s calling Fury for help.”

There was another pause. “Come on,” said Coulson, “don’t tell me that’s not at least a little funny.”

Hawkeye nodded begrudgingly. “And they say the Air Force is unprofessional.” Rhodes said, shaking his head. “You’ll get used to it.” said Coulson. “Fury runs a tight ship, chain of command is ironclad, but at SHIELD, we don’t pay much attention to Department of Defense rules. They’re stifling. Cut off the air flow. You’ve got to let your agency breathe, you know?”

“Not sure if I do.” said Rhodes. “You know who you sound like? Tony Stark.”

Coulson smiled more broadly. “I wish I were Tony Stark. I’d retire to Tahiti, and spend the rest of my life drinking mai tais and playing snooker. But unfortunately, some of us have to work for a living.” He looked at his watch again and sat down. “Descent’s starting,” he said, as the others followed his lead. “Might as well turn your eyes to the front. The Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility was a sight to behold even before it became XCOM HQ.”

Just past the pilots’ shoulders, Rhodes could see buildings, loud and incandescent, artificial light asserting itself in the evening darkness, surrounded by ant-black swarms of cars and vans, secret and silent as the agents within. As the facilities glowed and resisted the dark, the fields of barely-visible satellite dishes and solar panels behind them embraced it. He couldn’t tell where they ended and the surrounding hillscape began. “What are all those dishes for?” he asked. “Keeping up that real-time world map Bradford’s got down there?” “Yes,” said Coulson, “among other things. This is an astronomical research facility, after all.”

Soon, they had touched down on the runway outside the facility- poorly maintained and staffed, Rhodes noticed. It almost seemed like an afterthought. “I’m assuming this runway is due for renovation?” he said, as the jet struck a particularly harsh bump. As they came to a stop, Coulson shook his head. “We’re switching to VTOL and an underground, shielded hangar bay. Bradford could explain the reasons better than I could. There’ll be plenty of time for questions once you’re settled in here.”

They descended through armoured gates that opened in stages, down massive, echoing concrete hallways. They passed by rooms with arcane designations and yet more arcane hazard symbols on the doors. Coulson led them through a laboratory, white and blue, lines clean and streamlined, packed with scientists poring over what was, from what Rhodes could gather, a vast electronic database. There was a large transparent cylinder in the laboratory, with circular pads on robotic arms, moving to and fro, up and down, in what appeared to be a diagnostic test. “What’s that?” Rhodes asked quietly. “Vahlen’s interrogation chamber. Adapted from one we built to trap the Hulk.” Coulson replied. Rhodes took a closer look as he passed by. As they left the lab, he asked “Did you ever use it?” with a hint of excitement. Coulson shook his head.

Coulson led them into a massive engineering bay with assembly lines and robots, dormant and unblemished, shiny and new. A few technicians and engineers were standing around looking nervous, speaking in hushed tones. One was showing a page in his notebook to two of his colleagues, pointing at scribbles and diagrams and speaking rapidly. Rhodes could only hear a few words. “There’s no way. Selvig fixed that problem, the cube’s stable. Trust me, it’s an equipment failure, false positive, we’ve got nothing to-” 

The next door that opened led into the huge room they had seen earlier. Bradford turned to Coulson as the three entered. “Coulson. Rookies. I wish I could welcome you to XCOM under better circumstances.” he said. “We’re looking at a possible activation event.”

Coulson nodded somberly. “And that would entail…?” he asked.

“We’re not sure. Selvig, Shen, what are you seeing now?”

Two middle-aged men were standing in front of a view screen at the back of the room; one balding, Chinese and wearing a green jacket and pressed shirt and one Nordic, from the accent, and wearing a wrinkled lab coat. The one in the lab coat said “She’s misbehaving.”

“What do you mean, ‘misbehaving’?”, Central asked, annoyed.

“He means,” said the Chinese man, “that it’s emitting levels of gamma radiation higher than ever before. I recommend we shut down the machine.”

“I understand the safety concerns, Doctor, but this could be a vital research opportunity. It has never emitted harmful levels of radiation before. Let it activate.” Vahlen said decisively.

“We’re not authorized to go to the testing phase yet. Bradford, it is my professional opinion that if the Tesseract activates, it could release a substantial portion of the energy contained within. The consequences could be catastrophic, and any action we take to influence it could make them even more catastrophic. I recommend we shut it down.” the Chinese man said.

Bradford turned to Vahlen. “Dr. Vahlen, this is a SHIELD operation and I am giving the orders.” She nodded, but her expression betrayed frustration. He looked at the Chinese man. “Shut it down, Shen.” he said.

Shen pressed a button on the screen. The lights on the housing turned off and the humming that filled the room stopped. Rhodes became suddenly aware of how loud it had been. A few seconds later, it returned, followed by the lights. Shen looked at the screen and his eyes widened. “What’s going on?” Bradford asked, looking back from the Tesseract to make eye contact with him.

“She’s turning the housing back on,” Selvig said, “she’s an energy source. What we are seeing is… behaviour, it is not a malfunction. Shen is right, we ought to evacuate. We are still not sure what it will do.”

“Could it be someone in the facility? Is it being tampered with?” Bradford asked.

“If it’s being tampered with, it’s not from this side.” said Vahlen.

“From this side?” said Bradford.

“Yes. It’s a doorway, its activation will mean the opening of… a gate. It is entirely possible that there are other such artifacts. In any case, we should not overlook the possibility something is interfering on the other side of that opening.”

Bradford gestured to Agent Coulson. “Get on the intercom, call red alert, get a security team down here ASAP, have everyone else coordinate a full evacuation. Phase 2 technology should have priority for extraction. Fury’s on the way.” He sighed. “When he gets here, we’ll decide what to do.”

“Who’s leaving?” asked Shen.

“You, the rest of the engineering team, Vahlen’s staff, most of the on-site agents, all non-essential personnel. Selvig, Vahlen, you’re the leading experts on this thing. Do what you can to try to shut it down.”

Coulson glided out of the room and moments later it was his voice on the intercom, ordering a general evacuation of all non-essential personnel. Rhodes looked around at the scientists and engineers filing out of the room, barely-contained panic in their eyes, escorted by black-clad agents. Barton remained stoic but eyed the Tesseract cautiously. Shen was the last to leave, with a pointed look back at Bradford. Selvig was muttering to himself in Norwegian and checking and re-checking every screen he could see. Bradford was grimacing impatiently and clearly itching to have something concrete to deal with. It was Vahlen that unsettled Rhodes the most. That icy stare was now directed at the Tesseract. It was difficult to tell what she was thinking.

“Should we be armed here?” Rhodes said, worried. Barton drew a pistol from his belt without looking and handed it to him. “Take this. I’m going to the armory, if Vahlen’s right we could be looking at extraterrestrials, and I’m not taking any chances.” He left, his fists clenched.

Bradford’s eyes darted around the room, ensuring everyone was doing their job. He kept returning to Vahlen, who was staring in fascination at one of the view screens. “Vahlen, have you got something?” he asked, approaching her.

“According to the gateway hypothesis, which I maintain is better supported than any other, the cube is focusing energy to open a spatial conduit. My very educated guess is that it won’t cause permanent damage to spacetime, but it ought to bring somewhere else to here.”

“That’s all well and good, Doctor, but can you stop it?”

“We can’t disrupt the power. Indeed, it’s not even using the housing anymore. Whoever is activating it- and I do believe it is being activated, Central Officer- has us trapped. Regardless of what Shen said, it is not going to explode.” She paused for a moment, a look of moderate concern on her face. “If my hypothesis is correct.”

“Reassuring.” said Bradford. “Selvig, any dissenting opinions?” he said loudly.

“I do not know what is going on. The energy buildup appears to be growing logarithmically and is reaching something of a plateau. If it is going to activate, it is about to do so.” Selvig was pressing buttons, trying to shut the machines down, and failing. Vahlen, her expression a mix of apprehension and excitement, stared at the dais.

As Barton re-entered the room with a security team, the Tesseract glowed a bright blue and currents of energy began swirling around the side facing them. A blue-black beam came hurtling forth from the cube with a mighty whoosh and a circular gate opened. On the other side, there was only nothingness discernable, the same terrible colour as the beam which had wrought it, and then it collapsed, a shockwave rocked the room and the energy travelled up the walls, and the cube fell silent. Clouds of gas rose from the dais. A few small brown rocks were scattered around it. In the middle of where the gate had been crouched a man in what appeared to be some sort of trench coat and a set of ornate bracers. A rod with a menacing hooked tip, set with a glowing blue gem, was in his hand. A wicked smile faded from his face as he began to stand. The security team rushed forward, guns drawn.

Barton nocked an arrow. Rhodes did a double take to make sure his fellow XCOM recruit was really using a bow in the 21st century, then trained his gun on the intruder and turned the safety off. The other security agents followed suit. “I’m going to have to ask you to put down the spear.” Bradford said firmly. The man looked disappointed and perhaps tired. He looked at the weapon in his hand, and for a moment it seemed almost like he was surprised to be holding it. Then, in a swift and violent motion he thrust it forth and a cyan energy blast shot forth from the tip, tearing through one of Bradford’s soldiers before any of them could react.

The sound of gunfire filled the chamber. The lithe, dark shape of the man flew through the air towards one of the agents, bullets ricocheting off his chest, and he buried a knife in the soldier’s neck. He turned, and before the other agents could get a bead on him he threw more knives, which found their marks perfectly. Barton turned, lightning-quick, and launched an arrow. With inhuman reflexes, the man brought his scepter up to block it and it split with an audible crack, the pieces deflected to the side. Rhodes finished turning and fired, grazing the man’s head. For a split second, the scepter came in contact with his chest and the gun fell from his hands. The other agents barely had time to register his stunned state before another energy blast dropped the agent closest to Bradford. As Barton nocked another arrow, the man roughly pulled Rhodes between himself and the archer, using him as a shield for a split second while turning to fire an energy blast at the agent near Vahlen. It missed, as he wasn’t looking at his target but at the one man who still had a clear line of fire, and struck the Doctor- there was a burst of orange light and it seemed to bounce off her, flying upwards and impacting on the ceiling with a shower of sparks. She collapsed. The agent he’d missed fired several shots, center of mass, as he obliterated the agent standing next to Bradford before turning, aiming, and finding his mark with the second shot.

There was a pause. The man whispered something to Rhodes. Bradford’s mind was racing- could he reach an exit, or a firearm, before this alien shot him? Did he have any hope of stopping this here, or escaping? It dawned on him that he was at the mercy of the man with the scepter. Rhodes turned and rushed at Barton, who stepped back in surprise. He dropped his bow as Rhodes began to grapple with him, pinning him to the Tesseract housing before the shock of his initial advance had worn off. His eyes were black, but quickly returning to normal. Barton could do little but desperately try to make room, struggling for a few seconds and nearly managing to push Rhodes away before the scepter touched his chest as well. Both Rhodes and Barton stepped away from the housing and scanned the room. Bradford looked at them in alarm, shock and growing anger.

“What have you done to my recruits?” he asked, his posture still ramrod straight and his face betraying little of his frustration. The man with the scepter raised it and Bradford flinched, expecting to meet the same fate as the others. A contemplative look crossed the alien visitor’s face and he lowered the scepter. “I am Loki,” he said, “and your recruits belong to me now.”

“Thor’s brother!” Selvig said in shocked recognition. “The god of…” He fell silent as Loki glared at him angrily. “Bring him to me.” Loki said to Rhodes, who immediately strode towards Selvig and grabbed him roughly by the arm.

“If you’re Loki, you’re Asgardian.” Bradford said. “We have no quarrel with your people.” Loki’s eyes widened. “An ant has no quarrel with a boot. And besides, what is your motto, exactly?” he asked. His tone was condescending.

“Vigilo Confido.” said Rhodes.

“That’s not the motto,” Bradford said, “we just put that on the badges because it sounds cool. It’s not even real Latin. No, what I have to say to you is Caelum spectamus armati.”

“ ‘Armed, we watch the sky?’ That doesn’t sound very peaceful.” Loki said with a venomous edge to his voice.

“But it’s sure as hell justified, if you’re any indication.” Bradford replied.

Rhodes returned with Selvig. Loki tapped the scepter to his chest and his eyes turned black as his will was bent. “Now,” he said with barely-contained satisfaction, “we conquer. Scientist, take the Tesseract out of your primitive machine.”

“There doesn’t have to be any more bloodshed.” Bradford said, trying to look and sound intimidating. “That’s XCOM property, and god or not, I will stop you.”

Loki cracked a smile. Rhodes shot Bradford, who collapsed.

“Excuse me,” said Selvig, unfazed, “but the portal is overloading. It activated before it was ready and the resulting energy is unstable. I would conservatively estimate that this facility will be destroyed in under ten minutes. We ought to flee.” Loki turned to Rhodes. “I know who you are. Where is the suit?”

“Same place as our escape route,” Rhodes said. “It’s probably still on the Quinjet.”

Loki nodded in satisfaction. “Excellent.” he said.

Coulson’s last broadcast over the PA system was a general order to immediately evacuate without regards for data or materiel preservation. About a minute later, he entered the chamber, weapon drawn. There was no sign of Loki or the others. Bradford was staggering to his feet, his vest clearly having saved his life. To Coulson’s surprise, Vahlen was standing and typing at one of the computers, downloading what appeared to be dozens of files onto a USB drive.

“We’ve got to get out of here, sir.” Coulson said. “This place is about to-”

“Explode, I know.” said Bradford. They both looked in slight confusion at Vahlen. “Didn’t you-” Coulson began, but Vahlen cut him off. “He missed me.” she said curtly. “I’m downloading the Tesseract research files, including the activity logs from what just happened.”

Coulson helped Bradford to his feet. Vahlen pulled the USB out of its slot as the last files finished downloading. Central’s hand went to the side of his head and he began speaking over his headset as the three left the room. “Director Fury, Agent Barton and Colonel Rhodes have been…” he hesitated for a moment, “Mind controlled by an alien who resembles a human being. He’ll be carrying a glowing staff. Dr. Selvig is with them, they have the Tesseract.”

Fury’s voice, masked by the steady whir of his helicopter’s blades, came over the headset in response. “What do you mean, they have the Tesseract?”

“The alien is presently holding it. They’re headed for a Quinjet on the runway.”

“Aw, shit.” Fury said. He switched channels on his walkie-talkie. “This is the Director to all SHIELD agents present on the runway, do not, I repeat, do not let anyone board the Quinjet. We are at Defcon One here, people, the Tesseract has been stolen by an extraterrestrial entity.”

His words echoed from the earpieces of dead men and women. Fury watched helplessly as the Quinjet sailed up the tarmac and rocketed into the clear sky. He watched horrified, minutes later, from a safe distance as the facility itself was enveloped in a dome of blue energy and then collapsed in on itself, leaving ruins behind where the flagship project of XCOM once stood.

He turned to Agent Hill as the helicopter landed. “Sound the general call. I want every living soul not working rescue looking for the Tesseract.” He stepped out onto the sand and stared at the thick plumes of smoke rising from the facility, and the bright flames burning in the shattered rubble.

“Agent Coulson, do you read me?” he said.

“Yes, sir.” came the muffled response over the radio.

“This is a Level Seven. As of right now, we are at war. Get back to base, take Central with you.”

“What do we do?” asked Coulson, concerned.

Fury’s eyes were fixed on the wreckage. He thought for a moment, then looked up, hope in his eye. He nodded to himself.

“You know what I’m going to say.” he said. “Tell Central he put up a hell of a fight.”

Coulson looked at Bradford, who was sitting in the passenger seat of the SHIELD truck. Bradford sighed. “He’s assembling the Avengers, isn’t he?” he said, defeated. Coulson nodded.


	2. Switching Denominations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a harrowing few days, John Wick has finally killed his nemesis, Santino, and in so doing, doomed himself.
> 
> But the world still needs him.

A lot of familiar sensations asserted themselves in John Wick’s mind, like gunshots on a quiet day. That coppery taste in his mouth. The heaviness of his limbs as he dragged himself towards the fountain. His overworked heart after one too many shots of adrenaline, pumping away mindlessly. All the warning signs of impending death. And that was what it was. That was Winston sitting up ahead on the edge of the fountain, and he had broken Winston’s laws and Winston’s laws were Winston’s life. As far as John knew, every person in this park could be an assassin. The pretty redhead minding her own business a few meters to Winston’s left. The woman with the balloons. The old man feeding the pigeons. All of them.

“Jonathan.” Winston said, as Wick hauled himself in front of him.

“Winston,” he replied, “what am I looking at?” If he had some slim chance of survival still, maybe the answer would guide him to it. If he didn’t, it didn’t matter what he said anyway.

“The Camorra’s doubled Santino’s open contract; it’s gone international.” Winston said. Wick felt as though red dots were already crawling up his back. Fourteen million. An unheard-of sum.

“The High Table?” he asked, knowing the answer. Winston nodded.

“And the Continental?” he continued. Another pointless question.

“You killed a man on company grounds, Jonathan, you leave me no choice but to declare you excommunicado.” Every syllable of the final word cut deeper than the last. It was a death sentence. Wick’s heart sank as his doom was put into words.

“The doors of any service or provider in connection with the Continental are now closed to you. I am so sorry. Your life is now forfeit.” Winston sounded wistful, but not truly sad.

Time for daring. “Then why am I not dead?” John asked, expecting to be as soon as he finished his sentence.

“Because she deemed it not to be.” Winston said, with a hint of bitterness.

“She? Who is she?” John asked.

Winston turned his head towards the pretty redhead. “Ask her yourself.” he said, and watched as John sat down next to her, the dog lying down at his feet.

He wanted to ask “Why?”, but figured he’d live longer if he followed Winston’s advice. “Who are you?” he asked instead. She turned towards him and met his dull gaze. An assassin, Wick noted with no surprise. He could see it in her eyes- they belonged to a murderer.

“Until very recently my name was Catherine Nevsky. Recent events have forced me to break my cover,” She reached into her jacket, and Wick half expected her to pull a gun on him, but she took out a badge. She held it up to his face. Strategic… homeland… intervention… he’d seen it on a news broadcast once, after the Puente Antiguo hoax…

“SHIELD. You work for SHIELD.” He chuckled. It hurt. “You’re a spy. Why do you care about me?”

She put the badge away. “My real name is Natasha Romanoff. Some of the people you work with, and some of the people you’ve killed, are underworld legends. I’ve been watching them.”

Wick shook his head. “You shouldn’t have wasted your time. We don’t destabilize governments, we don’t bomb cities. There are rules. I can’t point you to any terrorists, if that’s what you want.”

She watched, expressionless. He trailed off, perceiving she wanted something else.

“What do you want?” he asked, resigned to playing her game.

“I’m here to tell you about the Avengers Initiative, John Wick. You’re not a man, you’re a myth. And the world is about to need heroes. I’ve been keeping tabs on assassins associated with Winston’s organization because my superiors believe, and for that matter, I believe, that there is room for killers in the defense of America and the world.” There was a certain intimacy to the last part of her speech. She gave voice to an unspoken connection between them. They murdered.

There were no more footsteps in the park. They’d all simply left as Wick sat down. They were waiting for an order, for open season on the boogeyman, for John Wick to be up for grabs.

“What are you offering me?” Wick asked.

“Communion.” Romanoff answered. “The people I work for are the right people. Here’s what I’m offering you: first, I’m offering you a chance to do the right thing. Second, I’m offering you amnesty for your many, many crimes. Third, I’m offering you a one-way ticket away from the middle of the largest congregation of assassins in world history, at a time when you have a fourteen million dollar bounty on your head.”

Wick looked at Winston. Winston shrugged.

He wiped some of the blood and sweat on his hand off on the front of his suit jacket, and reached for hers. Her hand was strong, her handshake practiced. She made a whispered phone call. There was the sound of a helicopter in the distance.

“Wait,” he said firmly. A flicker of alarm crossed her face.

“Can I bring my dog?”

She nodded.


	3. This Is Not A Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matthew Garetty returns from Tibet to explain his fight with his cousin Andrew to his family. But someone's gotten there ahead of him.

For the first time, the trees around the cottage seemed unfamiliar to Matt. He’d asked Mom to meet him out here the day after the Tibet trip, but he was so tired he’d stopped at a motel and given her a call to let her know he was back instead. Now he’d finally get to talk to her at length and give her some answers about what happened in Seattle. He felt bad about waiting, but Andrew deserved the trip. The way they treated his cousin on the news made him sick. “Terrorist”. “Attempted mass murder.” “Supervillain.” People were terrified of him as much as of Andrew, too. He hadn’t survived, he’d “escaped custody” or “fled”.

Eventually, he knew they’d understand. People had understood Tony Stark was the good guy, after all, even after the Expo attack. But Tony Stark had fame and charisma. All Matt had was publicly available video of him murdering his cousin. It would take work.

He ascended the path and caught sight of the cottage’s roof. To his surprise, there were fresh tracks in the muddy road. Maybe Mom had gone out to get something. Then he realized there were two sets.

Could the government have kidnapped her? They wouldn’t do that, would they? Maybe they were just talking to her, trying to find him. A thought asserted itself. Run. Then another. You didn’t do anything wrong. You have nothing to fear.

He decided to press on.

Outside the house, there were two unmarked black vans with tinted windows. He looked around for their occupants. Surely they had to be somewhere. The door was closed and it didn’t look like it had been forced, and there were lights on inside. He slowly advanced up the driveway, readying his barrier, feeling it projecting out from his body, encasing him like a suit of armour. A wasp bounced off it as he approached the door.

He knocked. The door opened. The woman inside was wearing a black suit. Her hair was short. She was smiling- her expression was surprisingly welcoming. “Matt. We’ve been waiting for you. Don’t be alarmed, we’re not-”

“Where’s my mother?” he asked, cutting her off. Her eyes widened and she stepped back. She put up her hands. “She’s alright. We’re not going to hurt you, or her. My name’s Maria Hill. I work for the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.” She pulled out a badge. “Have you heard of us?”

Matt thought for a second before nodding. “You’re like the FBI, right? Am I in trouble? Because I didn’t do anything wrong.” he said.

“We believe you.” she said. “Director Fury is waiting for you inside.”

He walked through the front hall into the main room, Hill following and stopping by the doorway. His mother was sitting at the table with a cup of tea, across from a stern-looking, bald black man with an eyepatch. They looked at him as he entered. She smiled, got up, and hugged him.

“I didn’t mean for any of it to happen, Mom. I swear.” he said. “I…”

The man cleared his throat. His mother broke the hug and patted him on the shoulder. “We’ll talk later, honey.” she said. “Mr. Fury, should I be here?” she asked. She sounded concerned.

“You might as well hear it.” Fury said. “Sit down, son.” he said to Matt. Matt obeyed immediately.

“I’m Director Nick Fury of SHIELD, here to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative.” Fury said, leaning back slightly. “But first, I want to see for myself what you can do.” He took a coin out of his pocket and laid it down in the center of the table.

Matt shifted in his seat. He reached out telekinetically and picked up the coin. His mother gasped. Agent Hill stepped back. Fury nodded, impressed.

“I’ve seen the footage from the Seattle event. You can fly, Matt, is that right?” Matt nodded. “And that’s not all you can do, either. You survived… and let me make sure I’ve got this right… being struck by a bus, which pushed you through several walls, while flying?” Matt winced.

“Yeah, I can produce a…” he paused for a second. “Barrier. Like a wall. It pushes back anything that’s about to touch me. It saved me from the bus. Andrew, he stopped bullets with it, but I don’t know if I could. I never tried.”

“Andrew was your cousin, correct?”

Matt nodded again. “Yeah, but I don’t want to talk about Andrew. You know what happened in Seattle.” He crossed his arms.

Fury nodded. “I do. And it was a brave thing you did. I understand,” he paused and lowered his voice, “if you don’t want to relive that.” He raised his voice slightly. “But Matt,” he said, “what you did is why I’m here to talk to you. If you’d been irresponsible with these powers, if you’d gone the way he did, we wouldn’t be having this talk. But you made a hard choice. You protected people.”

“I’m not a hero.” Matt said.

“Not yet.” said Fury matter-of-factly. “Do you want to be?”

Matt seemed surprised. He looked away for a moment. “What do you mean?” he finally responded.

“Eighteen hours ago, an extraterrestrial being landed on Earth and destroyed a secure SHIELD facility equipped to combat alien attacks. We are at war. We don’t know the extent of this being’s capabilities, and what’s more, we don’t even know if he brought friends. We are totally blind, because unlike you, they are not flying around in low orbit in scuba gear.” Fury said, smiling slightly at the last part.

Matt’s mother looked at him, maternal concern on her face.

“I tested it first, Mom, I was wearing a drysuit attached to a motorcycle helmet. I was fine, everything’s fine, my powers protected me and helped me breathe.” She continued staring at him. “Look, I flew to China and back, I think it works OK.”

“That’s the state of things.” Fury said, seriousness creeping back into his tone.

Matt looked conflicted. “Okay. I’ll think about it. Can I talk to my mother first, before deciding whether to join the… what did you call it again, sorry?”

“Avengers Initiative.” Fury said.

They left him in the house. On the driveway, four more agents were standing at attention by the vans. Fury gestured to them, and they relaxed.

“What do you think of him?” Fury said to Hill.

“We don’t know him yet. No psychoanalysis, nothing. Frankly, sir, I’m a little skeptical of including him in any of this.” she replied.

“The kid can throw cars around with his mind. I’d say that’s worthy of consideration. As for his mental state, we’re bringing Tony Stark on. I told him to his face that he’d have to get his shit together before I made him an Avenger, and now look where we are. These are desperate times.” Fury said.

“Desperate enough to recruit teenagers for life-threatening missions?” Hill asked, a slight accusatory edge to her tone.

Fury sighed. “I don’t like it either. But there are boys his age in Afghanistan right now. ” He paused. “Any other objections?”

“He’s nowhere near Stark in terms of flight maneuverability right now. Bradford described directed energy blasts. We don’t know if that barrier he described can block those.” Hill said.

“Noted.” Fury said. “I’ll have the others make sure he’s careful.”

“You’re talking like he’s already signed up.” she said.

“He will.” Fury said, without a hint of doubt.

A few minutes later, Matt left the house. He looked afraid, but determined.

“So, aliens are real?” he asked. “And they’re attacking Earth?”

Fury nodded.

“No one from the government is going to come after me or my family, right? You guys know what happened wasn’t my fault?” Matt said.

“That’s right, son. You can walk away right now, if you’d like.” Fury spread out his arms. “You can go anywhere you’d like. Maybe someday we’ll check back in with you. But if you stay out of trouble-” his arms fell to his sides. “You’re free.” His tone was reassuring.

“So, it’s up to me whether I come with you, and join your initiative?” Matt asked.

“Completely.” Fury said. “But we’d sure like to have you.”

“So, what is it, really? What’s an Avenger?”

“The Avengers are Earth’s champions. A team of individuals with extraordinary powers. Everyone’s heard of Tony Stark, of course, but as we speak, one of my agents, Phil Coulson, is signing Captain America on. You must have seen the news that he’s been pulled out of the ice. And we tracked down the Hulk, too. I’ve got people working on him.” He said all this with no hint that any of it was extraordinary.

Matt looked intimidated. “I’m going to meet Tony Stark?” he said, with suppressed excitement. “And the Hulk?”

“Gods and monsters, son.” Fury said dramatically.

Matt took a deep breath. “I’ll do it. I can’t just walk away. But I want your help to find out what happened to me, how I got these powers. I need to know. And I promised Andrew I’d find out.” he said.

Fury nodded gravely. “We’ll do our best.” An odd look came into his eye. “Actually, I think I know just the person you should talk to.”

“And there’s one more thing.” Matt said, glancing back at the cottage. “Mom, my family, you have to protect them. I don’t want to put them in any danger.” He seemed to be trying to sound as firm as possible.

Fury shook his head. “We’ll do what we can, and that’s a lot. But I can’t guarantee anyone’s safety as long as he’s out there.” he said.

“Then I’ll stop him.” Matt said, determined. There was a pause. Then, he continued. “Wait, him? What’s this alien like?”

“He looks like us. His name’s Loki. Tell you what, son, I’ll tell you all about him on the way to the Helicarrier.” Fury said, slightly exasperated.

“The what?” Matt said, awed, as the agents opened the doors of one of the vans and Hill pointed him inside.

As they drove away into the peaceful night, and Fury described dry details of the things Loki had destroyed, Matt thought about what this would mean for him. He'd known he wanted to do something with his powers, help people, be something more than just a kid playing pranks. His mind reeled as he realized what he'd gotten into. He wasn't just doing something. He was signed on to save the world, alongside legends, people who made the news twice a day. Anxiety crept into his thoughts. He took a deep breath. It's what Steve would have done, he thought to himself, not knowing if it was true. He grappled with fear for a moment, the weight of the commitment crashing down on him. He was unable to quell it. It's the right thing to do, he thought to himself.

That did it.


	4. Shape Of Things To Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve Rogers prepares to become an Avenger. Loki's shaky alliance with Thanos is threatened- his contact's words are ominous...

Steve found he felt at home in the back of the Quinjet, but couldn’t shake a feeling of nervousness. Flying had never been fortunate for him, after all. He adjusted his hands to get a better look at the screen of the tablet he was holding. Why didn’t these things have handles, he wondered.

Coulson glanced over at him frequently, making sure he was alright and not running into any issues with the modern tech. He wanted to talk to him, ask him questions about his work, break the illusion that he was just another suit sent by Fury to pick the Captain up.

“We’re about forty minutes out from base, sir.” the pilot said, breaking the silence.

Coulson decided to walk over. As he did, Steve looked at the screen quizzically and then carefully pressed his finger into the center, pausing the video in the middle of the Hulk’s dismemberment of an Army jeep. He looked pleased with himself and the tablet for a second, then turned to Coulson. “So, this Doctor Banner was trying to replicate the serum they used on me?” he asked.

Coulson nodded. “A lot of people were. You were the world’s first superhero. Banner thought gamma radiation might be the key to unlocking Erskine’s original formula.”

“Didn’t really go his way, did it?” Steve said with a hint of irony.

“Not so much,” Coulson said, “but when he’s not that thing, guy’s like a Stephen Hawking.”

Steve looked confused. “Like an Albert Einstein.” Coulson said. Steve thought for a moment and then nodded. “So he’s the brains of your operation. Did he design this?” he said, pointing at the tablet.

Coulson smiled. “No, we just recruited him recently. Sorry, I wasn’t very clear about that. Earlier. As for those,” he gestured at the device, “those are widespread now. Technology’s come a long way. You might find some of it surprising.”

“At this point, I don’t think anything could surprise me.” Steve said.

A knowing look crossed Coulson’s face, but he didn’t say anything.

Steve looked at the edges of the tablet for a second before turning it off and putting it away. “I’ve got one more question”, he said, “about the… man who can move things with his mind?”

“Matt Garetty. We’re calling him a ‘telekinetic’, and his powers ‘telekinesis’.” Coulson said. Steve looked thankful.

“Did he volunteer?” he asked.

Coulson looked taken aback for a second. He thought for a moment, then said “Yes. Fury talked to him and gave him the choice, and I’m told he signed up willingly. We don’t press-gang people.” He paused. “Most people we’ve talked to about recruiting Garetty are more concerned about his age.”

“Some of the bravest men I fought with signed up in their teens.” Steve said. “But they were all fighting for freedom. They didn’t fight for a world where a man could be forced to be a hero, they fought for a world where men choose to be heroes.”

“I’m glad to be living in that world, Captain.” Coulson said deferentially. “It’s an honour to be working with you. Really, it’s just… an honour to have you aboard.”

“I hope I’m the man for the job.” Steve said.

“Oh, you are. Absolutely. These people need a leader. Oh, and, uh… we’ve made some modifications to the uniform. I had a little design input.” Coulson said.

“The uniform? Aren’t the old stars and stripes a little… old-fashioned?” Steve said.

“With everything that’s happening, the things that are about to come to light… People might need a little old-fashioned.” Coulson said.

Steve nodded gravely.

Meanwhile, in a secret place beneath the earth, filled with footsteps and the buzz of machinery, Loki sat and waited. Barton looked over the plans for the coming raid in Stuttgart. Rhodes reconfigured his HUD, pacing around in the suit to get a feel for it. Selvig was hard at work on the Tesseract. Loki’s labour was bearing fruit, but his mind was elsewhere. He focused in on the Scepter, and his mind winged across vast gulfs of space, faster than light or thought…

Suddenly, but not unexpectedly, he found himself in his full, gilt regalia on a distant asteroid. There was the Other, twelve fingers twitching in what Loki recognized as barely-restrained rage. Almost immediately he launched into a hailstorm of savage words, his weapon of choice.

“The Chitauri grow restless! Thanos assembled his armies in expectation that his servants would do their jobs, Asgardian. He should have sent the assassin. Then, such flagrant incompetence as you display would not be in charge of an artifact of such vast power as the one you hold. And my forces would already be upon that accursed soil.” the Other said, spitting each syllable.

“I will lead your army into glorious battle. It takes time, alien, and effort to do what I am doing, and no small amount of cunning, as well. I can see you are unfamiliar with these things. Let me work and I will surpass all expectations.” Loki said calmly.

“My expectations were always low, but our master’s are inexplicably high. To meet them, battle with the meager forces of Earth should not enter your vocabulary.” the alien said, mockingly.

“I said glorious, not lengthy. If your force is formidable as you claim.” Loki said.

“To question my forces is to question our master, he who gave you new purpose, ancient knowledge, when you were cast out, defeated.”

This got to Loki, and he angrily retorted “I was a king! The rightful king of Asgard! Betrayed! And if I had the crown I rightfully deserved, I would need no Thanos to make me ruler of the Nine Realms.”

The Other laughed hollowly. “Your paltry ambitions are born from a child’s jealousy, not the fire in the heart of a conqueror. That is why you serve, and he rules. He looks further afield, to distant worlds the Tesseract will unveil, out of the clutches of the-” Loki cut him off.

“You don’t have the Tesseract yet.” he said.

The Chitauri warlord rushed forward threateningly but Loki interposed the scepter between them.

“I already saved your master’s prize by preventing the Tesseract from activating, and I will secure it for him fully! I do not threaten. You will have your cube, so I might have the throne I was promised, but until your army steps through that gate you are but words. Make more of yourself.” Loki said coldly.

“You will have your war, Asgardian. The stakes are too high for failure. If you lose, if the Tesseract is kept from us, there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice where Thanos cannot find you. You think you know pain? He will make you long for something as sweet as pain.” Loki was startled by the chilling certainty of the Other’s words and simply watched in shock as the alien approached and, with a touch, sent him hurtling back through the cosmos and into his body again.

He took a deep breath, then scowled. Fear crept into his mind and, as it always did, animated his limbs- but this threat he could not run from. He began pacing, and after turning a few times, shouted.

“Barton! We start now.”


	5. Some Assembly Required

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers meet up and get ready to capture the God of Mischief.

Steve squinted and blinked as he adjusted to the light streaming in from the open back of the Quinjet. Ahead of him, two immense airstrips, one oblique to the other and atop it, the space between them forming a hangar. Pilots and black-clad agents patrolled the deck, and several jets could be seen waiting to be flown. The sun glinted off the command tower, imperious, haphazardly ascending, and bristling with antennae, which connected the two runways.

Steve took a moment to take in the sight as he began walking down the ramp. Coulson put on his sunglasses and walked ahead of him. They were approached by Agent Romanoff, clad in a black jacket, and a man in a suit similar to Coulson’s with straight, black hair, the beginnings of an unkempt beard, and a long-suffering, world-weary look. He didn’t look very military- his hair was long and he kept looking around at things, as though he were trying to orient himself. The faintest confusion infiltrated his stoic expression.

“Agent Romanoff, Captain Rogers. Captain Rogers, Agent Romanoff and John Wick.” Phil said.

“Ma’am?” Rogers said. “Hi.” Romanoff replied nonchalantly. Steve made eye contact with Wick, who nodded to him.

Romanoff turned to Coulson. “They need you on the bridge,” she said, “they’re starting a face trace.”

“See you there.” he replied, walking away immediately in the direction of the massive tower.

Steve and Romanoff looked at each other, neither quite sure what to make of the other. Wick gave him a quick once-over and then began peering at the Quinjet with subdued interest.

Romanoff turned, and the two men followed her.

“There was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice.” she said. “I thought Coulson was gonna swoon. Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?”

Steve smiled. “Trading cards?” he asked, amused.

“They’re vintage. He’s very proud.” she said.

Ahead of them there was a man looking nervous and confused, standing by a jet, seemingly trying to find his way towards them. He was cut off by a pair of soldiers walking in front of him.

“Dr. Banner.” Steve called to him, recognizing him.

“Oh, hi,” he said. They approached, and shook hands. “They told me you’d be coming.”

“Word is you can find the cube.” Steve said.

“Is that the… only word on me?” Banner asked.

“Only word I care about.” Steve replied.

Banner nodded slightly, satisfied with the answer. He gestured around. “Must be strange for you, all of this.” he said.

A group of soldiers jogged by. “Well, this is actually kinda familiar.” Steve remarked.

“You know,” he said, turning to Wick, “I’m a little unfamiliar with what you do here. Coulson didn’t call you Agent Wick.”

“I don’t work for SHIELD.” Wick said.

Steve nodded. “Did they pull you out of an ice sheet too?” he said jokingly.

“I was a Marine.” he said. “I’m good at… Soldiering.” he followed up after a brief pause.

Steve glanced to Natasha. Her expression didn’t change.

He held out his hand. Wick took it.

“Always good to meet a fellow serviceman.” Steve said, slightly uncertain.

“We don’t really do the same job.” Wick said. “But it’s good to meet you. I’ve heard a lot.”

“Gentlemen,” Natasha interrupted, “you might want to step inside in a minute. It’s gonna get a little hard to breathe.”

Sirens sounded in the distance. A voice shouted “Secure the deck!” over a loudspeaker. The sound of machinery came from somewhere below them.

“Is this a submarine?” Steve asked with a hint of awe.

“Really? They want me in a submerged, pressurized metal container?” Banner said, smiling. The three walked towards the edge of the deck, Natasha smirking slightly behind them.

The water at the side of the ship roiled and shifted, making way for an ascending turbine, the chop of its blades drowning out the sounds of the deck. The carrier began lifting out of the water. Further astern, they could see another whirring rotor, and hear two others behind them. Pilots rushed about tying down jets and putting on oxygen masks.

“Oh, no, this is much worse.” Banner said, deadpan.

The full bulk of the four massive engines unveiled itself as the carrier accelerated upwards. Water cascaded from its sides as it abandoned the sea for the sky. The whir of the blades turned to a roar as they triumphed over gravity. Wick stared at the turbine and shook his head in disbelief. Steve turned back to Romanoff, who smiled.

They crossed the deck and walked through narrow hallways to the bridge, passing through a set of double doors into a massive, hemispherical room, all glass and metal and workstations, bustling with the work of commanding a vessel this size. The frontal viewport was immense, providing a clear view of the sky ahead and the clouds below. Banner found an out-of-the-way spot to examine the room, standing near Coulson, who was already present. Steve strode to the center and looked around, trying to take in everything. Wick put his back to the wall and took a subdued look at the bridge, impressed but wary.

“All engines operating,” Agent Hill said, standing above the bridge staff, “SHIELD emergency protocol 193.6 in effect. We’re at level, sir.” With these last words, she turned to the center of the room, where Fury stood, arms crossed, a few meters behind Central Officer Bradford, whose hands were on the controls of the Helicarrier.

“Good.” replied Bradford. “Execute disappearance protocol.”

“Engage retroreflection panels!” Hill shouted to the bridge. The bottom of the Helicarrier shifted in seconds to become indistinguishable from the sky above. They had blended with the air, the only evidence of the massive vessel the humming of the rotors.

“Gentlemen.” Fury said, turning around. Bradford’s eyes remained fixed ahead for a moment until an officer said “Retroreflectors engaged.” He let go of the controls slowly and turned to look at the guests on the bridge.

Fury walked directly over to Banner and shook his hand. “Thank you for coming, Doctor.” he said.

“Thanks for asking nicely.” Banner said, glancing at Agent Hill. “I’m a bit concerned about what might have happened if you’d sent Agent Romanoff.” he said jokingly. “How long am I staying?”

“As soon as we find the Tesseract, you’re free to go.” Fury said.

Bradford spoke up. “Doctor Banner, I think you’ll find that our laboratory is fully equipped. State of the art. You’ll be working with our own Doctor Moira Vahlen, do you know of her?”

Banner looked intrigued. “Yes, yes I do. Her dissertation on quantum energy containment was fascinating to read, and I cited a few of her papers in some work I was doing at the University. She’s got a reputation.” Banner shook his head and smiled. “It’s not a sterling reputation, not after Lubeck in any event, but well, her name’s known.”

“I’m aware, Dr. Banner.” Bradford said. Banner nodded, embarrassed. “Oh, of course.” he said.

“Despite SHIELD having certain misgivings about Vahlen’s style of research, her expertise is undeniable. That quantum energy containment dissertation made her the perfect candidate to study the Tesseract. You won’t have to do much explaining to her.” Bradford said.

“How are you doing so far, finding the thing?” Banner said to Fury, changing the subject.

He gestured to Agent Coulson, who stepped up to the platform and indicated a computer screen behind him. Images flashed across it- projections of cities, structures, rooms. Clint Barton’s face. The unmistakable mask of the War Machine armour. All seemed to be live. Video, or very detailed real-time projections.

“We’re sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet. Cellphones, laptops. If it’s connected to a satellite, it’s eyes and ears for us.” Coulson said.

“That’s not gonna find Loki in time.” said Romanoff, concerned.

“You have to narrow the field.” Banner said with sudden certainty. “How many spectrometers do you have access to?”

“Vahlen’s got one in her lab.” Bradford said.

“Not enough. Call every lab you know, tell them to put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays. I’ll rough out a tracking algorithm based on cluster recognition. At least we could rule out a few places.” Banner continued, speaking more quickly.

“Agent Romanoff, would you take Banner to meet his colleague? I’m sure he’d like to get to work as soon as possible.” Fury said. As Banner and Romanoff began to leave the room, Fury spoke up again. “Oh, and Central tells me Vahlen would like to meet you, Captain. She’s got something of yours.” Bradford twitched.

Steve looked intrigued. He quickly realized what Fury was talking about and turned to follow Romanoff.

“For the record,” Bradford said, addressing the bridge, “you are to refer to me as Central Officer Bradford, and not as Central.” Fury smirked. As the bridge crew returned to their work, he said to Bradford “You know everyone does it.”

“That may be so,” he said, “but I don’t appreciate it, Director. You know, in the Army-”

“They don’t have Helicarriers.” Fury said.

“The Minerva is a wonder of modern engineering, and we owe Shen and the other SHIELD personnel who helped design her a great deal, but with all due respect, Director, I worry that we might have traded shiny toys for discipline.” he said, partially in jest.

“All toys, no discipline? Just wait until you meet Stark. That’ll put things in perspective.” Fury said.

Wick glanced between them and then looked quizzically at Coulson. Coulson walked over to him, shrugged, and said “Welcome to SHIELD.” Wick shook his head. “Glad I never paid taxes.” he said. Coulson furrowed his brow. “You’re joking, right?” he said. Wick looked at him. Any humour he might have intended was well concealed. Coulson smiled uncertainly. Either the driest of wits or the most brazen of souls, he thought to himself.

Vahlen’s lab was orderly. The tables holding the various experimental setups: a petri dish labeled “XENO1”; a complex laser apparatus; and a set of computer screens with a holographic projection of the Tesseract in their midst, were each given a great deal of space, like exhibits in a museum. On a raised platform overlooking the spinal hangar bay of the Helicarrier was the most impressive object in the room- Captain America’s shield. Matt couldn’t stop glancing at it, taking in the glory of it, wondering where its owner might be.

“Did you understand all that?” Vahlen asked, snapping Matt out of his distraction. “Not quite, sorry.” he said.

“Understandable, I’ll put it in simpler terms.” she said. “You’re not giving off any energy or particles.” She paused until he nodded. “I’ll have to wait on the nerve cell tests,” she continued, Matt wincing at the memory of the nerve cell sampling procedure, “but it seems the event that gave you your powers has not resulted in large-scale change to your physiology. As for the device which you say may have granted you these abilities, there are no records of any government agency carrying out work in that area at the time you describe. I’ll ask Director Fury about that, I’m sure he’ll be interested. Based on your description, the device most likely was not a natural crystal structure. I would stop short of calling it certainly extraterrestrial in nature, but given that Asgardian physiology seems to be so close to ours,” she gestured at the petri dish, “an alien device capable of granting these capabilities to humans is…” She paused. “Just this side of the line between possible and impossible.”

“So, you believe me?” Matt said.

“Of course I do. One more question. Have you ever been a practitioner of meditation, yoga, or Eastern martial arts, or did you frequently undergo acupunctural procedures?” Vahlen said, looking studiously at a clipboard which Matt had noticed earlier was blank.

“No. I mean, I did yoga a couple times but it was just stretches and stuff.” Matt said, confused.

Vahlen looked him in the eyes for the first time in the conversation. “What you’re capable of pushes the bounds of science. If any semblance of normality ever returns to our world, you must come to my laboratory for more detailed analysis of your abilities and the mechanism by which they function. I promise you, anything I can find out from analysis of your nerve cells I will relay to you before I publish the results.” she said, her tone commanding.

“Thanks, I guess.” said Matt. He paused. “What’s Loki like? How am I supposed to stop him? Fury told me you’d met him, too.”

“I am a scientist, Mr. Garetty, not a soldier. Once the culture and analysis of the Asgardian cells I retrieved from the Tesseract chamber is complete, I may be able to tell you more.” There was a sort of detached judgement in her voice. Matt felt sorry he’d asked the question.

As Matt was about to leave, a bespectacled, unassuming man and a stunningly attractive woman entered the room. The woman immediately walked up to him and put out her hand. He took it without thinking. “Agent Natasha Romanoff. Sorry we haven’t met yet.” she said, and then turned to Vahlen.

“Vahlen, Dr. Bruce Banner.” She turned to Banner. “Banner, Matthew Garetty.”

They exchanged greetings. Vahlen didn’t see Banner offering a handshake, as she was typing on the keyboard near the virtual Tesseract rather than looking at him, and he eventually just nervously let it fall to his side and pretended it didn’t happen. He nodded to Matt, who nodded back, slightly confused, expecting manners less mild.

As soon as the introductions were complete, he found Banner and Natasha looking at him expectantly. “You want me to move something, don’t you?” he asked. Vahlen stared at him forbiddingly. “There’ll be plenty of time for that in the field.” she said.

Matt didn’t have long to be disappointed before Steve Rogers himself strode through the door. He stopped upon seeing his shield, and looked around at the room, first to Natasha, then Vahlen. “Can I have that back,” he asked, “or is it still being studied?”

Vahlen looked at Steve. “Of course.” she said, then to Matt: “Don’t just stand there. Give the man his shield.” Matt moved to pick it up, but decided to reach out and lift it from a distance, levitating it across the room as everyone but Vahlen looked on in awe, and into Steve’s hands.

“So it’s true,” Steve said, “You really have learned to do magic while I’ve been frozen.”

“Not magic, Captain Rogers, science. I think you will find this world you’ve entered has a rational explanation.” Vahlen said.

Steve nodded. “And you are?” he asked.

“Dr. Moira Vahlen,” she said, approaching him. “The world’s foremost scientist in many of the fields most directly relevant to the Avengers Initiative. I ran some tests on your shield. The metal is astonishing, absolutely incredible. Its properties, it seems, are not exaggerated from the history books. Solid vibranium is far more impressive than even the alloys we’ve been able to produce since.” She shook his hand. Banner looked slightly annoyed. He raised his hand, trying to get her attention, and failed.

“I’m glad to hear it’s not obsolete. Will you be helping Dr. Banner to find the Tesseract?” he asked.

“I think you’ll find Dr. Banner will be helping me. We are no longer peers in many of the fields he once excelled me in. Years on the run from the law does tend to weaken one’s dedication to keeping up with the latest research, isn’t that true, Dr. Banner?” As Vahlen spoke, Natasha took Matt aside for a moment, relaying some cautionary advice about Loki.

“Well, I wouldn’t quite go that far.” Banner said. “Fury brought me on for my expertise.”

“Which is why you are in this lab in the first place. Please, Doctor Banner, I’ve assembled the data I was able to collect from the Tesseract when it activated. I haven’t analyzed it yet, perhaps you might be able to recognize some patterns.” She gestured at the work station with the holographic cube. Banner walked over and started puzzling over the data on the screens.

“Interesting to hear that you’re German, er, Doctor. I’ve heard the second half of the century was kinder to your people than the first?” Steve said.

“I’m not German, Captain Rogers. That said, I was hoping you’d bring it up. I want to thank you personally for your service in the war. My grandparents were Romani. They would have been murdered by the Nazis if people like you hadn’t fought to save them. Such a valuable research opportunity as your shield belongs in a laboratory.” She paused. “But I am confident it will do more good in the hands of a hero such as yourself.”

“I was only doing my job, ma’am.” Steve said, clearly a bit surprised.

“With magnificence, Captain. Don’t short-sell yourself. Individuals as gifted as ourselves must realize our potential before we can use it.” Vahlen said, with muted excitement.

“I’m just a soldier.” Steve said. “Thanks for the shield, and good luck with your studies.” He smiled and nodded. She smiled and nodded back, with the slightest hint of disappointment in her eyes. He turned away, but she got his attention again.

“Wait.” she said. “About the shield. As I’m sure you’re aware, Captain, vibranium is capable of absorbing and reflecting massive quantities of kinetic energy from impacts. Of course you know about its effect on bullets and the like, but it should also work on Loki’s energy bursts. Furthermore, the shield should protect you from modern explosive weaponry and the repulsors in the War Machine suit Loki stole.”

“Anything else you can tell me about Loki?” Steve asked.

“I haven’t finished culturing Loki’s cells yet, but if his brother is any indication, it seems that his species is extremely strong and durable. We are not yet sure if their humanoid form is reflective of what they actually look like.” she replied.

“Space aliens using mind control, telekinesis, flying aircraft carriers, and Uncle Sam employing Swiss scientists.” Steve said, shaking his head. “The future sure is interesting.”

Vahlen smiled. “I’m not Swiss, either, Captain, but you’ve made a good guess. Keep trying if you’d like.”

“Austrian?” Steve said, smiling back. She shook her head. “I was only educated in Germany, I’m really from L-”

At that point, Banner interrupted. “Uh, excuse me.”

“What?” Vahlen said, annoyed.

“The program isn’t right. This model has to be updated now that it’s no longer in the housing. Loki doesn’t have any iridium, according to yours and Selvig’s research the energy signature will be different than it was when it was primed to activate. We can’t trace it using the model you programmed.”

Vahlen scowled. “It’s not wrong, I just haven’t written the replacement yet. Obviously I thought of that. Besides, if he’s planning to use it again he might have iridium soon. We’ll use both models.” She walked over to the console and checked the screens over furiously. Steve took a look at the shield and smiled fondly as he realized someone had had it repainted. He strapped it to his arm and walked over to Matt.

“Hey.” he said, right as Natasha had finished talking.

“Um, hi, er, hello, Captain Rogers.” Matt said, clearly surprised. “What do you want me to call you, actually, I should probably, um, establish that.”

“Just Cap is alright. Or Steve.” he said, amused.

“Sorry, Cap. It’s just a bit hard to believe it’s really you. I mean, it’s not every day you meet a historical figure. When I was a kid, I used to imagine how cool it would be to meet you.” Matt paused. “Not the first time life’s surprised me this year.”

“I know what it’s like to go from weak to strong. It’s a hard transition. All we can do is use the powers we’re given in the best way we can.” Steve said.

“I’ll try.” Matt said, nodding.

“You’ll do it.” Steve said. “That’s an order.” he said jokingly.

“I won’t let you down out there.” Matt said, smiling.

“Speaking of that, boys,” Natasha said, “Fury wants to hold a joint briefing for the team. We need to be prepped and ready to go after Loki when we find him.”

“Shouldn’t that wait until Mr. Stark gets here?” asked Steve.

“We’ve learned to pursue a… laissez-faire policy towards Stark. It’s possible he’ll get here in time. But we’re not counting on it.”

Steve looked disturbed. “Noted.” he said.

Later that night, when the briefing was finished and the team had dispersed to their quarters, Steve and Coulson stood on the almost-deserted bridge of the Helicarrier, looking out into the clouds. Central’s posture was still perfect but his stare was growing duller as he watched the view screens, waiting for a sign of Loki. It was easy for the agents at the screens to feel superfluous under his gaze.

“...I mean, if it’s not too much trouble.” Coulson said.

“No, no, it’s fine.” Steve said. “Have you got a pen?”

Coulson checked a few pockets and shook his head. “It’s a vintage set,” he said, gesturing to the cards in his hand. “It took me a couple of years to collect them all. Near mint, slight foxing around the edges, but…”

“That’s him.” Central said. His voice reverberated off the walls of the bridge and silenced all conversation. “That’s Loki.”

The agent whose screen Central’s eyes were fixed on said “Sixty-seven percent match. Weight, cross match, seventy-nine percent.”

“Location?” Central said.

“Stuttgart, Germany. 28, Konigstrasse. He’s not exactly hiding.” the agent said.

“We’ve got him. Captain, bring that man in.”

Steve nodded, glanced apologetically at Coulson, and strode towards the door. Coulson put his cards away.

Matt’s room in the Helicarrier was tiny, much smaller than his room at home. It was cold and grey. It felt like a cell. They hadn’t done much to brighten it up. It was too loud to sleep, with the footsteps through the metal hallways and the screaming of those mighty engines all around him. What was he doing here? It came as a relief when the speaker in the corner lit up and Central’s voice came through. “Mr. Garetty, get up. We found him. Hangar bay, two minutes.”

He threw off the covers like he was pushing away a venomous snake. As he got dressed, he paused, lifted his backpack off the ground, and set it back down, testing to make sure he was still something more than human. He took a deep breath, opened the door telekinetically, and walked out of the room. Trepidation and excitement dueled in his mind. He wondered if he’d feel like a hero at the end of the night.

Light flooded into the armoury as Hill entered, first from the hallway and then from the overhead fixtures. Wick stood and watched as she typed in commands on a console. He felt like half his field of vision was always blue touchscreens and black suits. At least the Continental had old-world charm. A rectangular box came up from the ground, and its lid slid apart seemingly of its own accord. Wick descended a few stairs and stood in front of it. He brought his eyes to the center.

Two Heckler and Koch P30Ls, set up just the way he liked to use them. A Kel-Tech KSG pump-action shotgun. A couple unfamiliar elliptical discs. A rifle, of a design he didn’t recognize, that looked set up to fire tranquilizer darts. A spare, pressed suit, a flak jacket, three M84 stun grenades, and a TR-1 Ultralight semi-automatic rifle.

“Like Christmas.” he said, deadpan.

“Thought you’d like them.” Hill said. “We based them on your old arsenal.”

“I’ve got bad memories of some of these guns, you know.” Wick said. He picked up one of the handguns, and looked it over before placing it in his shoulder holster. “What are these?” he asked, pointing at the discs.

“We call them taser grenades. They deliver a disabling electrical shock, attach upon impact from any angle. Stark’s armour is just about the only thing that’ll resist them.” Hill said, with a hint of pride.

“Colonel Rhodes’s armour is Stark, isn’t it?” Wick asked.

“Stark never upgraded that suit. They’ll work.” Hill said.

John looked the guns over again. “Do you think any of this can take down the…” he gestured vaguely, “Loki?”

“To be honest, we don’t know. Those darts are loaded with a tranq intended for use on the Hulk, though. Untested, but extremely potent. If anything can knock him out for questioning, it’s that.” She paused. “And if things turn bad, if anyone can kill him with these weapons, it’s you.”

Wick nodded, then said “When do we leave?”

Hill checked her watch. “Now.” she said.


	6. Caging of the Snake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers attempt to capture Loki in Stuttgart. John Wick fights for his life against a superior foe.

Loki took careful, measured steps out the museum door. His ears were filled with the mewling cries of the guests at the gala. As his armour materialized around him, he paused to appreciate the moment. He smiled, thinking to himself that it was ironic that the god most overlooked in Asgard would be the first to walk among mortals, the first to convince them of his power, since they had landed in Norway all those centuries ago. The scepter revealed its true bulk and lethality, the shimmering, gilded blades uncloaking themselves. Golden horns sprung from his heads. Now is the age of my dominion, thought Loki.

At least, that’s what one would believe he was thinking.

The first police car rounded the corner, sirens blaring, silenced in an instant by a blast of energy. He barely even looked at it. Cower for me, he thought. Cower in your steel husks and behind your fabric vests, armed with your primitive slug-throwers. Cower in the rain-blighted streets and wait for the jackboot to kick you where you need to go.

Or, at least, that’s the impression he gave of his thoughts.

He took an elevated position. But he also took a position at each of the exits. There were a lot of Lokis. One was real, but to mortals, they all might as well have been. “Kneel before me,” he said, imposing but more as a suggestion than a demand. Some did. Most stood bewildered, searching for ways out of the square, but all were blocked.

His voice lifted to a roar. “I said kneel!” he shouted, with the frustration and entitlement of a judge calling for order. He spread his arms out wide and smiled in satisfaction, looming over the huddled mass, the dignitaries of Earth, who had thought themselves so regal before the voice of the divine took its place on the list of speakers for the night. “Is this not simpler?” he said, smirking and spitting his words. “Is this not your natural state? It’s the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life’s joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel.”

Surprisingly, his words seemed to be ringing true. But one man stood. Loki scowled. He rather enjoyed monologuing to captive audiences. He didn’t particularly want to start the evening off by killing a Midgard man. But there the old man was, standing. No great loss. How much time could he possibly have left, anyhow?

“Not to men like you.” he said, weary of tyrants.

Loki smiled haughtily. He reclined in his glorious past like it was a throne. “There are no men like me.” he said.

“There are always men like you.” the old man said.

Loki twitched. “Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example.” he said venomously, and raised the scepter. 

Ten minutes earlier, John Wick walked in the front door of the hotel across the street with a briefcase, mumbled “Hans Kürtzing, Bundespolizei, ich muss das Dachgeschoss untersuchen, danke schoen,” in a thick American accent, flashed a badge, and left the concierge bewildered as he strode confidently to the elevator. She asked something. It sounded like she was offering help, cautiously. “Nein, nein, danke.” Wick said. He pushed the button and rode the elevator to the top floor, trying to tune out the David Hasselhoff single playing inside. Instead, he focused on the shot he was about to take. Wind was low tonight, dart drop would be compensated for by his sights. He had one chance only to hit Loki in the neck with a tranquilizer dart, and if he missed it could potentially mean the end of the world. He’d taken and made harder shots. No reason to get worked up about it.

The hotel was old and the top floor was under renovation. He knew the concierge would call the police eventually, but he had a way out and a cover, however flimsy. He set up by a window in the dining room overlooking the square, with excellent firing angles. There was only one way out of the building Loki was in. With Wick watching the door with a rifle, there was no way out. They’d get him.

He unpacked the briefcase, put the rifle together and loaded it with a clip of three darts. He felt heavy and sluggish with all the equipment he was carrying under his jacket. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to use them. After all, he had the height advantage, element of surprise, technical superiority and, he hoped, much better training than his enemy. Why, he wondered, did his mind wander now when so many times before it had been cold and still until the moment the trigger was pulled? Men he could kill. But could he put a god to sleep?

He opened the window at its bottom and waited.

Loki emerged. He was speaking English. Why was he speaking English? For that matter, was he speaking English? There was an echoing quality to the voice in Wick’s head, audible across the square and far above the street. There was something otherworldly to it. Wick twitched. He aimed. He waited for his moment. The air left his lungs. He fired.

The dart passed through the Loki on the platform, who vanished in a shimmer of golden light. Another Loki, standing guard, aimed and fired. There was a flash of blue and a loud report as Captain America dropped into view, deflecting it with his shield. The energy blast flew back at Loki and knocked him to the ground. Wick adjusted his aim and tried to line up another shot, but a hissing sound asserted itself in the periphery of his hearing. Before the window, about twenty feet out, a hovering suit of grey-black armour lowered itself clumsily into view. It raised its arm, and with a click, a tiny rocket emerged from its wrist.

The two men stared at each other, Wick’s mind racing, a single thought roaring at him: Find cover now. There was one goal behind the War Machine armour’s mask and the brow it guarded. Kill John Wick.

The rocket sailed into the room, past Wick, and struck the back wall. Wick dropped to the ground as a massive fireball engulfed half the room, flying pieces of masonry and carpentry turning the air to shrapnel. He felt impacts on the flak jacket, but was unharmed. He grabbed the shotgun and scrambled behind the thicker wall next to the window as Rhodes unleashed a hail of bullets, shattering the glass and putting dozens of holes in the floor where Wick had been lying. He flew in through the window, and Wick barely had a second to react to the sound of approaching repulsors, ducking into an adjacent window alcove. Rhodes flew into the center of the room, above the table. Wick reached into his jacket. As Rhodes got a bead on the alcove, a tiny disk struck his armour right next to the Arc Reactor.

Wick, pulling his throwing arm back to his gun, watched as the taser grenade worked its magic. Electricity coursed across and through the armour, and as its repulsors shorted out it fell twenty feet through the air, the table and the floor beneath it. There was an almighty crash as it struck the ground in the room below.

Rhodes’s HUD lit up. “System Restart.” 25%. 30%. 32%, and then the first blast of buckshot struck the outside of the armour, doing little more than scratching the paint. Wick pumped the shotgun, took aim from his position above the hole and fired again, this time at the shoulder joint. Nothing. 67%. Wick cursed, pumped the shotgun again and fired at the same joint. There was a shower of sparks. The armour finished rebooting. Wick saw the light return to the visor and dropped a stun grenade into the room below. He covered his ears. The noise was still monstrously loud. He kicked down the door of the adjoining room and got behind the wall as Rhodes ascended from the floor below.

Rhodes’s ears were ringing. He didn’t hear the door being kicked open, but thanks to the optical shielding in the visor he could still see. The damage to the door frame was obvious. He loosed another rocket into the room Wick had fled to.

Wick ducked and covered his face. The rocket flew past the cobwebbed stacks of furniture in the room and detonated. The shockwave shook the walls, shredded the upholstery and splintered the wood. Wick rolled out of the way of a falling rafter. The fire in the other room was spreading. Smoke clouded the air. He looked around, spotted another doorway, and charged through it into the next room, the heavy footsteps of the armour following him. He tossed another stun grenade over his shoulder, hid beside the door and pointed the barrel of the shotgun at head height. Maybe, just maybe, a shot to the neck joint at close range could get through the armour. The grenade went off. His ears rang. Rhodes walked through the door, unfazed. He fired. Sparks. A piece of shot ricocheted and cut his face. The visor flickered but the armour held. Rhodes grabbed the gun and tossed it across the room, then raised his wrist to Wick’s chest, the barrels of his weapon revealing themselves- and was immediately struck by a repulsor beam and thrown against the wall. Drywall and wood came apart like the surface of water and he landed in a heap.

“Rhodes!” a voice shouted, “Snap out of it, buddy.” Rhodes pushed himself up off the ground and rocketed in the direction the blast had come from, through the open door. Wick looked around the corner and saw him collide with another figure in sleeker, newer armour outside the broken window. Iron Man. 

They hovered there in midair for a moment, wrestling, as the minigun emerged from Rhodes’s shoulder. Tony grabbed it and directed it away from his head with all his strength. Bullets sprayed across the top floor of the hotel- Wick hit the deck again. They spun, lost altitude, and then Tony flew back into view, ascending, chased by a curtain of blazing lead. He shouted down at Rhodes, whose head tracked him mechanically as the minigun’s fire came closer and closer to his flight path. “Rhodey! What’s going on? Come on, give me something, we can get you out of this. You in there?” There was no reply.

As suddenly as the chase began, it reversed. Rhodes stopped for the briefest moment, changed direction, and rocketed away into the night sky. Tony looked back, halted gracefully, and took flight after him. Wick ran to the window and observed the square below. Loki’s scepter was lying on the ground. Cap was standing, looking tired but unharmed. Matt was holding his hand out in a gripping motion, and Loki was standing completely still.

“Unhand me, fool!” he shouted. “This does not end here! You cannot stop me! A worm like you cannot stand against my might!” It sounded like he meant it. Wick almost felt amused at the impotent, cartoon-villain rage coming from the frozen Asgardian. He looked around for more threats, retrieved his gun, and carefully made his way back to the elevator.

The Quinjet landed at the edge of the plaza. A handcuffed Loki was led into the back by Cap. Tony landed shortly afterwards. “He was shooting everything he had back at me. I couldn’t catch up to him.” he said, frustrated, and strode up to Loki. “Hey. Reindeer Games.” His helmet retracted. “What did you do to my friend?”

Loki stared him in the face and remained silent. Tony threw up his arms. “Can you believe this? We have one fight, and he’s giving me the silent treatment.” he said, turning to the others. Then, back to Loki, “Here’s the deal. You tell me how to fix Rhodey and I’ll install a light bulb in your cell at the Hague.”

Cap touched him on the shoulder. “Mr. Stark... he’s not gonna talk. Let’s go.”

Tony looked at him, then back at Loki again. “Alright, but if he tries to escape I reserve the right to taze him. Repeatedly. Like, with unnecessary… voltage. You get the idea, I’m upset.” he said, resigned.

“Hey, Mr. Stark.” Matt said, waving his hand uncertainly. “Yeah? Oh, hey kid.” Tony said, then took a seat in the Quinjet, staring straight ahead. He took a deep breath and put his head in his hands.

Wick sat near the front of the jet. “Nice shot.” Loki said mockingly as he passed. Wick didn’t acknowledge him. “Hey.” Steve said. “That looked rough up there. Good job holding off Rhodes.”

“Thanks.” Wick said. “Next time, could I have a bigger gun?” he asked Natasha. “Maybe one that doesn’t shoot needles? I almost got killed.” She shrugged. “Complications happen.” she said. “That man had three or four machine guns strapped to his body and walked off a point-blank shotgun blast to the neck.” Wick said. “I’m starting to think I was better off with those assassins.”

“We can still put you back there if you’d like.” Natasha said. Wick frowned, nodded, and strapped himself in.

Matt looked around at the group. No one looked satisfied. He didn’t like the look on Loki’s face. He couldn’t stop looking at the god of mischief. He seemed to be pouting, stewing in anger. It didn’t make sense that a god would pout. Cap’s hand fell on his shoulder. “Hey. Matt.” He looked at the Captain. “Yeah?” he said. “Good job out there. You saved my skin.” Cap said, a reassuring smile on his face. Matt smiled back. “Uh, thanks.” he said, his posture straightening. “I’m glad I could help.”

Loki’s head rested against the seat. He grimaced and scowled and glared at the heroes who had captured him. He tried his best to maintain gravitas despite the crushing defeat. He lashed out with his eyes, haughty and scornful, like a petulant child, refusing to admit loss.

At least, that’s what it looked like.

His deception was maintained until no one was looking. The satisfaction underneath it lasted until thunder’s boom shattered his sense of security. It was going to be a long night.


	7. Odinson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The God of Thunder arrives seeking his brother. Loki is captured; or is he? The need to find the Tesseract quickly dawns on the heroes.

“I don’t like it.” Wick said.

“What? Rock of Ages giving up so easily?” Tony quipped.

“Rock of Ages?” asked Steve.

“It’s a musical. Actually, it’s a movie now.” Tony said. “You must have missed a few things during your time as a… Capsicle.”

Matt chuckled. Steve looked at them both, amused but slightly disappointed.

“A lot of things.” he said.

There was a thunderclap. Loki stared out the window, watching carefully, and took a deep breath.

“What’s the matter? Scared of a little lightning?” Tony said.

There was an impact. The Quinjet shook. “Did we just get hit?” Matt asked.

“No.” said Natasha. “Something big just landed on us.”

“Deploy the ramp.” Tony said.

Natasha looked as though she were about to protest.

“It’s Rhodes.” Tony said, putting on his helmet. “Open the door, he’s out of missiles but God knows what he’s doing out there. Let me at him.”

She nodded and the back of the Quinjet opened. Cold air flooded the interior. Loki said nothing. Cap finished putting his mask on and faced the rear. Suddenly, a man in a flowing red cloak and shining battle armour landed on the ramp, wielding a hammer. Tony charged his repulsor- the man simply knocked him down with a blow, grabbed Loki in one hand, and tore him out of his seatbelt effortlessly. Wick reached for his gun. Matt tried to halt the man with his telekinesis, but in a burst of force he tossed his hammer and flew away, breaking his grip. Wick took aim, but held his fire to avoid hitting Loki.

Tony stood up. “Oh, great, it’s that… Calvin Klein model who killed that robot in Albuquerque.” he said. “Stay here, kid, I’m gonna go get him.”

“Wait, isn’t he a friendly?” Steve said.

“Doesn’t matter. If he frees Loki or kills him, Rhodey’s gone, and so is the Tesseract.” Tony said.

“I’m coming with you.” Matt said.

“No, you’re not.” Tony said, and jumped off the ramp, flying off into the clouds.

Cap began strapping on a parachute. Matt hesitated for a moment and looked at him. He nodded, and Matt pushed himself forward into the cloud bank, following the blazing repulsors on Tony’s suit.

“I’d sit this one out, Cap.” Natasha said.

“Don’t see how I can.” Cap said, finishing with the parachute.

“These guys come from legend, they’re basically gods.” she said.

“There’s only one God, ma’am, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t dress like that.” he said. He strapped on his shield and jumped out of the Quinjet.

Wick sighed and put his gun away.

The clouds buffeted Loki’s skin and the rain soaked his garments. He avoided Thor’s gaze- he was staring at him with an anger that was impossible to meet on even footing. The ground shot up at him and he slammed into it, and Thor was standing over him, hammer raised. He took a moment to catch his breath and then laughed.

“Where is the Tesseract?” Thor asked, unblinking.

“I missed you too.” Loki said.

“Do I look to be in a gaming mood?” Thor asked. He didn’t.

“You should thank me. With the Bifrost gone, how much eldritch energy did your father have to conjure you here, your precious Midgard?”

The hammer fell to the ground, tolling the mountain like a bell. Thor picked Loki up and brought him to the edge of the cliff. They looked at one another for the first time in too long. A bit of sorrow crept into Thor’s expression.

“I thought you dead.” he said.

“Did you mourn?” Loki asked.

“We all did.” he replied. “Our father…”

“Your father,” Loki said, raising his finger. “He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?” Thor broke his grip, and Loki walked away down the precipice.

“We were raised together,” Thor said, raising his voice. “We played together, we fought together! Do you remember none of that?”

“I remember a shadow,” Loki said, “living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss- I who was, and should be king!”

“So you take the world I love in recompense for your imagined slights?” Thor said, his expression one of disbelief. “No, the Earth is under my protection, Loki,” he said, pointing at him.

“Jane Foster is under your protection. You couldn’t care less about Midgard.” Loki said. “I mean to rule them. And why should I not? They’ll be better off.”

“You think yourself above them.” Thor said.

“Well, yes.” Loki said.

“Then you miss the truth of ruling, brother. The throne would suit you ill.” Thor said.

Loki pushed him away and ascended the slope. “I’ve seen things, Odinson. I’ve watched worlds burn in the crucible of madness. I have grown, and I have come to know truths your father hid from us. I’ve seen the true power of the Tesseract, and when I wield it-”

“Who showed you this power?” Thor interrupted.

“Does it matter? Without my rule this realm will burn. Ask Odin! Ask him what his plan is for the next time the nine realms align.” Loki said.

“There are other ways than serving whoever controls you, the would-be king.” Thor grabbed him again.

“I am a king! And I will be your king, in time!” Loki snapped.

“You don’t have to keep secrets. Come home. We can solve this.” Thor said.

Loki’s expression shifted a few times, before settling on smugness. “I don’t have a home.” he said. The hammer sprung into his brother’s hand.

“You need the Tesseract to bring me back,” Loki said, “but I’ve sent it off I know not where. I’ve already won.”

“Listen carefully, brother-” Thor began, reaching towards Loki- but his hand halted. He pushed forwards harder and it was as though an invisible wall was between them. “What sorcery is this?” he said, raising his hammer.

Loki smirked and looked around. “Don’t hurt me, please!” he shouted, and backed away even further towards the cliff’s edge. Thor spotted a humanoid form floating in the darkness. “Arcanist, do not keep me from him! I am here to deliver justice.” he shouted.

“You’re Thor, right?” came a slightly unsteady voice in response.

“I am Thor, Odinson, god of thunder. What is your intention for Loki?” Thor’s frustration was building. He considered simply smashing the invisible wall with Mjolnir, but decided to wait to see who his enemies were.

There was a crash of metal against stone as a man in a suit of red armour landed just where he and Loki had been standing a minute earlier. He stood, and his armour unfurled a bizarre series of what Thor assumed were weapons. He was pointing every one directly at him. “Hey, MC Hammer? I’m running the show now. Why don’t you put that down before somebody gets hurt?”

Thor weighed his options for a brief moment. “If we are not enemies,” he said, “tell me, what do you intend for him?”

“We’re going to get him to tell us where the Tesseract is. Then, we’re going to put him in a cell somewhere. No part of the plan includes the words, ‘kill him before he can tell us anything useful’.” the iron man said. “Stay out of my way.”

Thor didn’t like his tone. He raised the hammer slightly and he felt the invisible wall approach, tighten like a vice around his limbs. He was not one to be trapped. He loosed Mjolnir and was immediately struck by repulsor beams, knocked down the slope to plummet towards the forest below.

Matt saw the hammer coming at him. He pushed directly on it to slow it down and focused all his energy into his barrier. It tore through the layers of telekinetic force like they weren’t even there. He began to dodge, but the hammer collided with the left side of his chest. He cried out loudly in pain and held his ribs as the hammer flew past him again towards where Thor had fallen.

As he began descending, Tony flew up to hover next to him. “Kid, you gonna be able to make it to the ground?” he asked.

“Yeah.” Matt said. It hurt to speak. He grimaced.

“Next time, do what I say and stay on the damn jet.” Tony said, then flew off into the forest below.

He landed, tossing up leaves, a few meters away from Thor, who staggered to his feet. “We can talk this out.” he said, levity in his tone and repulsors pointed at the god of thunder.

“The Tesseract belongs to Asgard.” Thor said, fuming. “So does Loki. Promise me they will return to their rightful place when this is finished, and I will help you. But I will not be left out.”

“You could have killed him.” Tony said, pointing back towards Matt. “I’m already the hot-headed idiot on this team, you’d cramp my style.”

“Your sorcerer struck first.” Thor said, gesturing to the mountaintop. “I was defending myself.” He crossed his arms.

“You know, on a better day, I’d kick your ass all over this forest.” Tony said. “But I don’t feel like it. Fury seems to think you’re humanity’s best bud, so he can have you. It’s up to him whether you get your cube.” He lowered his repulsors. “I’m gonna go get Loki before he runs off.”

“A shame. I would have liked to test your strength, man of iron.” Thor said.

“Actually, it’s Iron Man.” Tony said, and flew off back towards the mountaintop.

Thor considered going after him to make sure he kept his word, and was about to throw his hammer when a voice called to him from among the trees.

“Thor!” Cap shouted.

“Who goes there?” said Thor.

“Steve Rogers, I’m with Stark, where is he?” Cap said.

“Stark? You mean Iron Man? Or is Stark the sorcerer?” Thor said, confused.

“Stark’s the arrogant one with the flying armour.” Cap said, deadpan.

“I see. And the sorcerer?” Thor said.

“Matt Garetty. I… don’t think he can use magic.” Cap said.

“What name do you give to it, if not magic?” said Thor.

“Tele… telekinitis, I think. Are they alright? You guys didn’t have any serious problems?” Cap said.

“Of course.” said Thor, smiling. “I am a reasonable man.”

An hour and a half later, outside the containment room of the Helicarrier…

“I’m not saying it was your fault, I’m saying maybe you could have used a little less force. What the hell is that hammer made out of, anyway, to get through Matt’s barrier?” Fury said. “For that matter, why was your immediate plan to break into a military jet and just… grab Loki? I know if I were on a friendly visit to Asgard I wouldn’t just blow shit up. I feel like I’d probably outstay my welcome pretty quick.”

“Very well,” Thor said, not quite making eye contact, “I apologize. Now that I know where everyone’s loyalties lie, we may join forces.”

“I’ll be the arbiter of that.” Fury said. “As it so happens, I’m receptive to the idea.” He paused. “You got lucky. Try not to break anything else.”

Thor nodded. “On my honour as Prince of Asgard, your enemies are mine, and your allies are my charges.” he said.

Fury offered a hand. Thor took it. His grip was like iron, but Fury’s expression didn’t waver. He turned and walked through the door, Thor following.

In the containment room, Central was already standing at the control panel, arms behind his back. Loki glared at him from behind the thick walls of the chamber as Vahlen looked on, monitoring their prisoner.

Central began to speak to their prisoner. Fury walked up behind him.

“In case it’s unclear, you are under our complete control so long as you are in that cylinder.” he said, opening the hatch and raising his voice to exceed the sound of rushing wind from below, “The release mechanism launches the container down through this floor. The amount of force delivered upon impact to any occupants is… Let’s just say it’ll ruin your day.” The hatch closed.

“A certain insect metaphor springs to mind.” Vahlen said.

Loki glanced at her, looking contemplative, but soon turned his gaze back to Central. “This cage wasn’t built for me, was it?” he asked, smirking.

“I think you’ll find it exceeds the specifications necessary to contain you.” Vahlen said.

Without looking at her, Loki said “How did you survive the energy blast?”

Vahlen didn’t answer.

“What are you hiding?” he continued.

“Don’t listen to him.” Thor said. “He’ll try to turn you against your friends, make you doubt.”

Loki turned to him, scowling. “Friends. SHIELD is no friend of our people, Odinson. XCOM’s weapons were designed for you as well.”

Thor said nothing.

“Who is this cage for, Director? My brother? No. I think not. Tell me, where is your dog of war now, the beast who makes play he is still a man? How desperate are you, that you call upon such lost creatures to defend you?”

Fury looked at Central.

“It’s not desperation,” Central said, “but necessity. That mindless beast is smart enough to track down the Tesseract, and soon he will. Then we’ll see who’s desperate.”

“If I am not victorious, you are doomed. Without my army to bring order to this world, things yet worse will crawl from the woodwork. Your pitiful planet will burn while Odin turns a blind eye, and it will be your doing, not mine!” Loki said, with that sounded like a tinge of genuine frustration in his voice.

Central shook his head and left the room, taking measured, even steps. Fury followed him.

“Thor, if you would, I’d like you to meet me at my laboratory, tomorrow morning. I need a sample of your cells to ensure my preliminary results on Loki’s physiology are accurate.” Vahlen said, walking over to the console. Thor nodded and left the room, eyeing Loki suspiciously.

Vahlen turned the lights inside the cell up to 300% luminosity. Loki squinted and shaded his eyes, trying to meet her gaze through the glare. “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you, Loki.” she said. “The technology you brought to Earth will surely advance our science by decades or centuries.”

“You won’t live to see that progress.” Loki said with chilling certainty. Vahlen’s eyes widened. She stood there for a moment, then left, dimming the lights in the rest of the room, leaving Loki trapped in a cylinder of inescapable brightness. He sat cross-legged on the floor and grimaced, then smiled as soon as she was gone.

The next day…

The infirmary on the Minerva didn’t smell like a hospital. It was just as new and fresh as the rest of the vessel, and had the same undercurrent of metal polish and Department of Defense money that permeated the rest of the ship. Banner knew that smell. He’d been in more than enough Army labs. He put an X-ray slide down on the table next to Matt’s bed.

“Good news. Results just came in and your lungs are fine. No punctures, no stray bits of rib, it looks like you’re alright, so long as you get some medical attention and time to heal.” he said.

Matt shifted a little to look at Banner. “When can I go back out there?” he asked.

“We got Loki. It’s done. You did well.” Banner said, smiling uncertainly.

“Colonel Rhodes is still out there. Mr. Stark couldn’t catch him, they need my help.” Matt said.

Banner shook his head. “I’m sorry. You’re in no shape to do anything. Look, part of one of your ribs was pulverized. Tiny bone shards, everywhere, you could really hurt yourself if you move around too quickly. You need surgery. Look, you caught Loki. You got him. I watched the tape, you ripped the scepter right out of his hand. Don’t worry about taking a little break, alright?”

“I have to do more.” Matt said. “You saw the feed from the containment room. It’s not over, and I don’t have the right to just do nothing.”

“Matt. Stark, and Thor, and Cap, they’re legends. They’ve done more than you or I could dream of. Let them handle this. Look, I… in Canada a few years back, I figured something out. It’s this meditation technique, and it only works when you just let go of all the things you’re concerned with. Every time I went to sleep, you know, I figured the other guy might wake up. If I had a nightmare, or something. You’re worried about this all being over, and whether we win or lose, feeling like you could have done better. Losing something, and feeling like it’s your fault for not controlling your powers well enough. Not being good enough.”

Matt couldn’t look him in the eye.

“Sometimes, you just have to sit one out. Trust other people.” Banner said. “I’ll show you the trick if you like, sometime. I know it sounds like New Age hippie bullshit but sometimes, hippie bullshit really works.” He smiled.

Matt couldn’t help but smile as well. He took a deep breath. It hurt a little. As he was about to speak again, Vahlen entered the room and immediately started talking.

“Dr. Banner, I’m finished with the xenobiology for now. Thor’s skin has the hardness and tensile strength of solid aluminum according to preliminary tests, it’s all very exciting,” she said, her tone neutral, “but we really do need to get to work on finding the Tesseract. All Loki’s minions need is a power source and they’ll be able to tear open a portal the size of a small building, and keep it open indefinitely.”

“That’s what the iridium was for, then?” Banner said. “How do you think he’s planning to heat the cube?”

“I don’t think he is. He doesn’t have the hardware. He’s just going to achieve fusion via quantum tunneling in the containment matrix in the cube. Given a few more weeks I could have done it myself; I reckon whoever employs Loki knows how it works well enough to turn the cube into an artificial fusion reactor.” she said.

“Then they can unlock it at any time.” Banner said, concern in his voice. “How can we stop that?”

“They still need to kick-start the reaction. I’ve had Fury focus surveillance on every nuclear power plant we have access to, put a moratorium on planned fusion reactors at PEGASUS-adjacent sites.” she said. “The only thing that might still be able to start the reaction is-”

Tony entered and looked around. “Hey.” he said, walking towards Matt’s bed. “Kid, you alright?”

Matt nodded. “He’s got four broken ribs. He’s lucky he didn’t get killed; as it stands, he should recover fully in a matter of weeks.” Banner said.

Tony put his hands on his hips and took a breath. “Sorry about that. I should have got him before he started playing whack-a-psychic, really, it’s on me. Good news, though, you get a break from fighting gods.” He turned to Banner. “So how many kinds of doctor are you, anyway? Are you really an M.D.? I won’t tell anyone if you’re not.”

“I went to medical school after the biochem Ph.D. I figured it was a logical step.” Banner said.

“Shows more initiative than me. You know I took a gap year after graduating from MIT? Went to a totally different school. Learned dead languages, antagonized the establishment. Good on you not getting overwhelmed.” Tony said.

“Professor Shen told me you neglected your studies. You could have been great.” Vahlen said.

“I am great.” Tony said. He paused. Banner smiled and shook his head slightly. “You and Banner need any help finding the cube?”

“No.” Vahlen said, her tone flat. “I’d appreciate it if you stayed away. We have more than enough inexpert handling of the data already. Selvig’s reports are nonsense and Shen’s engineers didn’t know the first thing about-”

“The quantum fusion matrix powering the wormhole engine?” Tony said offhandedly.

Vahlen glared at him. “Yes.” she said. “How did you-”

“I read the reports.” Tony said. “What do you think he’ll use to power it up?”

“If Fury does what I recommended, his only option will be to use an arc reactor or some sort of exotic alien technology like whatever powers the scepter.” Vahlen said.

“Arc reactor? No one knows how to make those, and I’ve got the… only…” Tony trailed off. “Damn it.”

“It looks like Stark Industries’s reputation for responsible distribution of destructive weaponry remains safe.” Vahlen said, smirking slightly.

“For the record: not funny.” Tony said, taking a step towards her.

“That’s probably because my expertise is in science. You’re the resident comedian.” Vahlen said. “My work is far too delicate to allow a loose cannon in my laboratory. If you have any brilliant ideas, please leave a message for me.”

“Do I address that to the lab or am I going to have to specify that I, unlike all other callers, actually want to talk to you?” Tony said.

Vahlen twitched slightly. “Banner, we have work to do.” she said, and left quickly.

Tony looked at Banner and shrugged. “What’s her problem?” he said.

“I’m not sure. I guess she’s not all that sympathetic to your company.” Banner replied.

“How does she know how much power an arc reactor emits?” Tony said.

“Could be guesswork. Could be that one of her professors was a correspondent of Anton Vanko.” Banner said. Tony looked at him, incredulous. “She likes to talk about her early work. I get the sense she was something of a prodigy, like you and me.”

“Prodigy or not, she’s out of line.” Tony said.

“That may be, but she’s right about one thing. I should get back to work. Nice talking to you, Matt. Careful not to make it worse, okay?” he said.

Matt nodded. Banner left.

“Mr. Stark?” Matt said.

“Yeah?” Tony said.

“Do you think SHIELD will find the Tesseract in time?”

Tony crossed his arms. “I sure hope so.” he said. “If we don’t, we’re in trouble. Thor says Loki has an army, and he’s bringing it here using the cube.”

“Can Vahlen do it?” Matt asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t think it’ll be clean and simple no matter what she and Banner cook up. You read about the Lubeck incident?” Tony said.

“No.” Matt said.

“Good; don’t.” Tony said. “If you’re worried now, that’ll only make it worse. Stuff of nightmares. But I’m sure she’s perfectly safe to have around here.” he said sarcastically.

He walked out of the infirmary, perturbed. Matt took another deep breath. It still hurt. He thought about putting his ribs back together, bit by bit, with telekinesis. Standing up and walking off after Stark. Making things right.

A single thought crystallized in his head and began to intrude upon the others. Why couldn’t he stop that hammer?


	8. The Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor apologizes to Matt. Tony makes Steve question SHIELD's motives. Vahlen makes a breakthrough.

Matt shifted in his infirmary bed. He looked over at the tea on the table, just about finished steeping, gave the bag a quick up-and-down with his telekinesis, then levitated the cup over to his hand. He took a deep breath, and there was a stabbing pain in his left side. He twitched. A few drops of tea spilled on his gown. He thought of what Tess must be doing about now. Sitting at home, probably, wondering why he never came back. Maybe she figured he ran out of air over the South Pacific. He’d never specified he was back in the U.S. on his last call. Maybe she thought the police had him. Maybe she’d seen a broadcast from Stuttgart that had gotten a good look at him, and she knew he’d lied to her to go save the world or die trying. Without even saying goodbye, for that matter. His heart sank. What was he doing here?

The rotors droned on in the distance, roaring beyond the steel walls, going nowhere.

There were heavy footsteps in the hallway. The door opened. Matt instinctively tensed up as Thor entered the room. He looked around, head held high, and strode over to Matt’s bed. “Matt Garrety, child of Midgard,” he said, approaching and pulling up a chair, “We ought to speak.”

He sat down and put down Mjolnir. The hammer struck the floor with a clang. Matt winced. Thor clasped his hands and leaned forward. “It was not my intention,” he said, “to do you such grievous harm. I am sure you’ve been told, but we are comrades in arms now. Loki’s schemes threaten the planet I love; your planet. There ought to be no petty squabbles between allies.”

Matt wasn’t sure how to respond. “Look, I’m sure you were worried about my powers. I mean, I probably would have done the same thing. I mean, I did, with Loki, he was aiming the scepter at me, so I froze him.” He shifted a little. “I’m still new at this, and I think if I’d used that much force on a human…”

Thor sighed. “Rationalizing our failures is the easy way out. Learning from them is far better. I’ve come to apologize. I lost my temper. I promise, it will not happen again. Will you forgive me?” Thor said, making eye contact.

Matt nodded. Thor seemed to relax immediately. There was silence for a moment, then Thor spoke again.

“You were brave, to face a warrior from another world. I’ve been told you knew of my powers before you confronted me.” he said. “I’ve also been told you... lost a friend to lightning.” he said more quietly.

“Hey, you didn’t have anything to do with Steve, what does that have to do with anything?” Matt said, his demeanour becoming more guarded.

“You knew your powers could not stop the thunder. You came anyway, to finish your mission, to protect your planet. That is courage. You may have been defeated, but victory does not a true warrior make.” Thor said.

Matt blushed slightly. “You don’t think you’re overdoing it a little?” he said, annoyed.

“I am… sorry if I offend.” Thor said, confusion on his face.

“It’s just, you know, you sound like… People don’t talk like that on Earth. Outside of movies, and things.” Matt said.

“I am not from Earth.” Thor said, furrowing his brow. “Why should I not speak as is my custom? Is it considered impolite?”

Mat chuckled a little, then grimaced and tensed up as pain shot through his side. Thor looked away.

“Maybe I should go.” he said after a pause. “When you are recovered, perhaps we may speak again. I would like to know whence your... telekinitis came, and how it was able to subdue my brother.”

“Wait,” Matt said. “The hammer. I pushed it with everything I had. Why didn’t it stop?”

“It depends.” Thor said. “Are your powers part of you?”

“I don’t know,” Matt said, “But my barrier can stop things with a lot more momentum than the hammer would have had. I mean, unless it’s made of like, something really dense.”

“No man can move Mjolnir, child of Midgard. Only those who are truly worthy can lift it or alter its course in flight.” Thor said.

“What makes somebody worthy?” Matt asked.

Thor opened his mouth, then closed it again. He looked slightly confused. “I’m not sure. But I am worthy. And apparently, you are not.” he said.

“Good to know.” Matt said. He took a sip of his tea.

Thor began to stand up, then sat back down and turned to Matt. “I do not mean to imply you are unworthy, per se, but certainly, the hammer…” he trailed off and started again. “Worthiness isn’t everything. It does not reduce you as a person if…” he said, in a faintly conciliatory tone.

“It’s an undefined term. It doesn’t have any meaning without a set of criteria to define it.” Matt said.

“Maybe, when I do something I should have known better than to do, that is what makes me unworthy, and when I act as I should, then I am worthy?” Thor said, grasping his chin.

“It’s a catch-22. That would mean that you being Thor is what makes you worthy. Or, rather, the Platonic ideal of Thor.” Matt said.

“What is a catch-22? Is it some strange Earth animal?” Thor said.

“No, no, it’s from a book… it’s like, when you can only do something by doing another thing, but you can’t do the second thing without doing the first thing first.” Matt said, gesturing vaguely.

“But that’s impossible.” said Thor.

“Yeah, exactly.” said Matt.

“But I can lift the hammer.” said Thor.

“But only because you’re you.” said Matt. “So everyone else who wants to lift the hammer is just, screwed then?”

“No, no, Odin said ‘whosoever wields this hammer, if he be worthy…’, so it can’t just be me.” Thor said.

“Wait, does that mean women can’t wield it?” Matt said. “That’s kind of sexist, don’t you think?”

Thor frowned. “Maybe there are no women who are worthy? Odin is all-seeing, after all.”

“Dude.” Matt said.

“What?” Thor said. “I mean, of course there could be women who are worthy.” He paused. “Obviously. Maybe there just weren’t any, at the time. Being worthy isn’t common, after all, otherwise anyone could just-”

Matt shook his head. “Why don’t we talk about this some other time? It’s making my head hurt.” he said.

“You think you suffer. I still know nothing of this Platonic you speak of.” Thor said, a serious look on his face.

Matt couldn’t help but smile.

Thor picked up the hammer and left, muttering to himself. Matt took another sip of his tea and put it down on the table. He exhaled and relaxed. It was hard to believe he’d ever been afraid of the thunder god, now. He wondered if Tess could wield Mjolnir.

Probably.

Around the same time, in the armoury…

“No- no. I said, “explosive munitions”.” Wick repeated, speaking slowly.

“Query not recognized.” the console’s computerized voice said.

Wick stared down at the blinking lights and fields of blue on its face. He shook his head slightly and opened his mouth to speak again, but the door opened behind him. He turned immediately. It was Tony, who sauntered into the room like he owned it and said “Minerva, open all lockers, code Gadsden-1.”

There was a sound of rushing air and sliding hydraulics as every door in the armoury simultaneously opened, revealing a massive smorgasbord of armaments and technology beyond the fevered dreams of the most dangerous mobsters on the planet. Wick looked right, then left, and nodded once.

“Didn’t pin you as the type for government work.” Wick said.

“I’m not. Turns out, just in case the carrier gets attacked, anyone on the crew can open all these lockers, and the crew register,” he turned to Wick, “including voice matching for each individual crewman,” he turned back to the array of weapons before him, “is controlled by the quartermaster, and the quartermaster’s password is stored locally, and they’re using encryption software that I’ve already cracked, because…” Tony walked down the stairs to stand among the open lockers, “they’re bad judges of character, and they left me alone on the bridge for ten seconds. Hey, do you want to bet how many guns Romanoff has in her locker for everyday use? I’m gonna go with five.”

He looked at Wick. Wick stared back, realized he was waiting for a response, and shook his head.

“Not a gambling man, then?” Tony said, taking a quick look at Romanoff’s locker. “Good on you, cause I was right. Who needs that many weapons?” He put on an exaggerated expression of confusion.

“You’d be surprised how fast you go through handguns sometimes.” Wick said.

“You know, I still don’t know what you do here.” Tony said. “Just shooting things all the time sounds like kind of a boring job.”

“Pays the bills.” Wick said.

“What bills? Don’t you work for SHIELD? D.O.D. work is pretty cushy, just ask Rhodes when we get him back. Good job on not getting killed by him, by the way. Would have been a huge PR issue.” Tony said.

“Is everything a joke to you?” said Wick.

“Do I call you John, or Wick? Actually, I think I’ll just call you Point Break.” Tony said, taking out a bag of blueberries.

Wick descended the stairs and started checking the lockers. He passed by a thick, heavy rifle with a segmented barrel and stopped to look at it.

The armoury door opened again. Both men turned to look. Steve entered, looking unimpressed.

“You know, SHIELD armouries are supposed to be secured except in emergencies.” he said.

“I know. Shameful, really.” Tony said, shoving a handful of blueberries into his mouth.

“Is everything a joke to you?” Steve said.

Tony shrugged. “Funny things are.” he said.

“Making Central think the ship’s under attack isn’t funny.” Steve said. “Why are you even in here? All your gear is on that armour of yours.”

“Figured I’d see what kind of equipment they had. I mean look at this, this guy’s got a… longbow.” He gestured to the locker he was passing by. “That guy over there, now, he’s compensating for something.” He pointed at the cannon with the segmented barrel Wick had passed by.

“You need to focus on the problem. Don’t you have training to do? We’ve got to be able to work together.” Steve said.

Tony didn’t seem to be listening.

“Grenade launcher.” Wick said. “Although that gun’s primary barrel has been removed, which is definitely not S.O.P.”

“That’s not what that is.” said Tony. “That’s alien tech.”

“How is that possible?” Steve said.

“You think these guys get all their weapons from me? We weren’t their plan A. We’re plan B. They’ve known aliens are coming here for two years. Why bring us in now?” Tony said.

Steve walked up to him. “Are you suggesting Central is hiding something?” he said.

“Yep.” Tony said. “Blueberry?” he said, offering one.

“What are you suggesting?” Steve said.

“Look. I’m kind of the only name in clean energy right now. I have more patents than Edison, and SHIELD is constantly bugging me about everything else I do. Why wasn’t I called to help them work on the Tesseract?” Tony said. “It doesn’t add up.”

“Vahlen seems like she has things under control.” Steve said.

“Vahlen-” Tony turned around and took a few steps. “Vahlen’s crazy, and even if she weren’t crazy she doesn’t exactly have the credentials you’re looking for in energy work. Look at her credentials, sure she can hold an intelligent conversation about quantum fusion matrices but think about it, what lies at the intersection of experimental particle physics, mechanical engineering, and materials science?”

Steve looked completely lost.

Wick stared at Tony for a moment and then said “A… laser gun?”

“Yeah, if you want to be a philistine about it, it’s probably a laser gun.” Tony said. “There’s another armoury on the ship. Why don’t you check it out?”

“Why don’t you do your job?” Steve said in retort.

“Apparently, I’m relegated to being the team comedian now, because there are no aliens to blow up, and Vahlen won’t let me into the lab, because she’s a certified, grade-A egomaniac.” Tony said. “So this kind of is my job.”

“Just don’t do this again.” Steve said.

“Password for getting into the armoury, by the way, is just to tell the ship “code Gadsden-1”. Not that you’ll ever use it, because then you’d be violating Scout’s Honour, but if you do, good hunting.” Tony said.

Steve shook his head and left the room. A tiny voice in the back of his head congratulated him for understanding that reference.

“Blueberry?” Tony said to Wick.

Wick walked over to the back of the room, took a few clips of explosive armour-piercing rounds, put them in his locker, and left.

Meanwhile, in the laboratory....

Vahlen loomed over the scepter, deep in thought. She stared at the glowing blue gem at its tip, as though if she kept her eyes fixed on it long enough it would come apart like a flower, reveal its contents. On the other side of the table, Banner ran it over for the fifth time with the scanner, picking up more readings. He glanced at her again. He’d been doing so, like clockwork, every time he returned. This time, he finally mustered up the courage to say something.

“Are you going to help me interpret the data? Or should I call Stark?”

Vahlen glared at him. “I hope that was a joke.” she said. What was that accent? Banner wondered.

“I’m just saying, I’m stuck. And I could appreciate some help making sense of these readings. They look like the ones from the Tesseract, same signature, but something’s different. That weapon isn’t powered by the cube like we thought.” Banner said.

“Of course it isn’t.” Vahlen said.

“What do you think it is?” Banner said.

“A work of art,” Vahlen said, “makes a crude bludgeon. Using it as a weapon is like… hammering nails with a calculator.”

“You know, I feel like that’s what I’m doing right now.” Banner said. “None of the equipment is giving me anything but the energy readings, and that’s telling me nothing.”

“Maybe it doesn’t want us to understand.” Vahlen said. “It controls minds effortlessly.”

“Are you suggesting it’s alive?” Banner said, taking a tiny step back.

“Yes. Remember my 2009 artificial intelligence paper?” Vahlen said.

“I remember. I usually don’t follow AI but when I heard you were working with Dr. Hofstadter I had to read it. The quantum computing results were especially-” Banner said.

“Exactly. We already know the energy matrix in the Tesseract is quantum-based. A highly advanced quantum computer, coupled to a miniaturized fusion matrix the same sort as the Tesseract.” Vahlen said, cutting him off.

“But that would mean this thing is even more advanced than the Tesseract itself. And why can it control human minds? What do these aliens know about us?” Banner said.

“Questions for another day. I think the salient point, Doctor, is that something is alive in there. This is a prisoner, not a tool. Loki seems desperate. Angry. Maybe someone is controlling him.” Vahlen said, no longer looking at Banner.

“Then we have to lock this thing in one of your chambers, or maybe have Shen build a cage for it. What if it’s influencing our minds? What then? You should have said something.” Banner began gesticulating and walked around the table, close to Vahlen.

“I’ve been listening to it. Why do you think the readings don’t make sense? It’s all coming together now, it’s talking to me.” There was awe in her voice.

“No, it’s not. And if it is, it’s an alien invader trying to get in your head. Look, Vahlen- I’m calling Central. He can decide what to do with it, okay?” he said. Banner looked around the room twice before he found the intercom. He picked it up and dialed the bridge. Vahlen said nothing. She mouthed a few words and reached for the scepter.

“Are you listening to me?” Banner said. He grasped her forearm.

Vahlen shook her head and took a deep breath. She looked at Banner and slowly withdrew her arm. “You’re right. I’m going to put it in the back in the secure locker. Tell Central what happened.”

Banner walked to the intercom. “Hey. Central, Hill, whoever picked up the phone over there, the scepter’s doing some creepy stuff, we need a security detail down here and we need to put it into storage right now.”

“Intercom doesn’t work.” Vahlen said, turning to Banner. He put up his hands in a gesture of confusion.

“I don’t like American spies watching me. Is that so hard to understand?” Vahlen said.

“We’re gonna have to talk about our work environment later, okay? This is all… very freaky.” Banner said.

He left the room, shaking his head, and began down the hallway. Vahlen closed the door. She turned, fixed her eyes on the scepter once more, then took a few tentative steps toward it. She reached out and touched it. The metal was warm and shivered like her own quaking flesh, anticipating her. There was a low and secretive sound coming from the gem. Its waking sounded like the buzzing of distant insects.

In a motion, she lifted it from the table and placed the tip to her head.

Space is cold and dark and its ways are long, lonely and treacherous. This Vahlen understood within seconds. She hurtled through the stark, unforgiving void for what felt like days. Sometimes space clung to her like a sea of honey. Sometimes it receded like the tide, leaving vastness behind it. Nothing had ever felt so empty. At the end of the journey, she collided with a wall of rock, and stood, bruised, pebbles floating through the void all around her, tossed up by the impact. Atop a short ridge on the asteroid, ahead of her, was a cowled, twelve-fingered, imposing figure. Were his teeth bleeding, or were his bones red? His eyes were veiled, and he wore armour and sacerdotal robes. A war priest? A theocrat?

“You are not Loki.” he said, descending the ridge. Vahlen scrambled back across the asteroid’s surface, cutting her hands on sharp bits of rock, then stood. She held the scepter out like a spear and clenched her teeth. 

“Who are you? What is this place?” she said, more to herself than the creature. She didn’t even look at him, as though ignoring him would make him go away. Instead, her head turned wildly, observing only barren rock and cold, distant stars.

“An Earthling, wielding the master’s favour. Blasphemous child.” the Other said, approaching swiftly.

She pointed the scepter at him and stared at his veil. He continued his advance, but more slowly, and smiled wickedly. Red teeth, red bones. An alien. “Who do you think you are?” he said.

“I’m Moira Vahlen. Earth’s foremost scientist. How do you know I haven’t unlocked the secrets of your device?” she said, her voice wavering. Her knees weakened. One by one she recalled the symptoms of panic attacks and hypoxia, her mind racing, trying to figure out what was happening to her body.

The Other’s smile faltered. He stopped. “You can understand me.” he said. “No matter.” He reached for the scepter. Vahlen stepped back, tripped over a rock and collapsed against the ridge behind her. The alien advanced one more step, his bloody teeth glinting in the diamond-bright starlight, a night terror hewn from the outermost dark between those cold pinpricks of light above.

“Why did it bring me here!?” Vahlen shouted. She raised the scepter like a rifle, took aim at the Chitauri’s chest. “Give me answers, or I will destroy you!” Her lie was transparent. Every part of her mind abjured death, but expected it.

The Other stood there for a moment, grimacing, his face inscrutable beneath the veil over his eyes. Even in his grim silence, she could see his posture soften, his shoulders recede. He seemed to be in a negotiating mood. “I do not know.” he said. He paused contemplatively, then spoke again. “Has Loki failed? Have you defeated him?”

“Yes. He is our prisoner.” she said. There was another pause. The Other tapped his thumbs on the right hand together, thrice, rhythmically. Impatience. “What is your plan for Earth?” she said.

“We will conquer your armies in glorious battle. We will rule, and we will watch over your people. Our master is just, and fair. He will be even-handed even as he brings you low.” the Other said, menace in his tone, but surprisingly sincere in his sentiment. “What do you know of the Tesseract?” he asked after a brief pause.

“It is a quantum fusion matrix which concentrates, in a compact housing, the required energy and physical mechanisms to open a wormhole to another point in space. Our knowledge of the mechanisms is thus far limited.” Vahlen said, speaking quickly, hoping he would answer again, just one more question; “How do I return?”

“Why should I send you back?” the Other said. There was a long pause. The motes of light arrayed amidst the cloying dark were as eyes watching Vahlen, circling like vultures. She was certainly hallucinating. Or, perhaps, those stars were spacecraft. Hundreds of them. “Give me the Scepter.” he said.

Vahlen took a deep breath. Her heart was pounding. The air here was thin. Unconsciousness was perhaps only a minute away. “I won’t give it to you. And if you try to take it again… I’ll shatter the housing. Free the power source and the mind inside it.” She had no idea whether it was possible, but there was no other alternative. It had to be enough to make him back down.

The Chitauri stepped back. “You’ll die.” he said. “Beg, surrender, and live.” There was an adamant quality to his words, the fervent demand of one rarely defied.

“You don’t deserve this power.” she spat at him. “A conqueror. W-why conquer when you could save our world through technology? You’re no b-better than Earth’s warlords. I won’t bow!” Her voice still wavered, but her words rang out clearly.

The Other turned and walked back towards the ridge. He turned again to face her, standing to his full height, his chin upturned. He made a sign in the air; a six-pointed star.

“I’ll send you back, earthling. To harness the stone! Not blasphemy, but fate; the star-mind seeks the extension of your life. I will not defy a piece of God. And I will not slay an opponent who, alone, powerless, defies a superior foe. No, a death in the ignominious dark would be unbefitting. Go. Go, and warn your pitiful planet I am coming. It will not save you, Moira.”

The void collapsed upon her, like a dam had burst above her head, and a riptide swallowed her whole, sending her hurtling into the icy, pitch sea. This time, on the way back through the violent currents of space, she held the scepter close to her chest. The gem was warm and soft against her cheek, and it whispered in dulcet tones, reducing the vast uncaring darkness to the small, cozy corner where its voice could be heard. This time, she slept.

She awoke drenched in sweat, sitting against the counter opposite the scepter’s table. She breathed hard and fast, gasping for oxygen in the sterile, choking laboratory air. She threw the scepter away from her. It clattered along the ground and halted, inert and silent, a few feet away. She looked at her hands, which were uninjured. There was no physical evidence of her journey. Her eyes shot to the clock; only a minute had passed. Doubt and terror and savage implication assailed her. She took a deep breath, tried to calm herself, halt the shaking of her limbs. She failed.

Agent Coulson found her hiding in the storage locker, curled up in the corner, arms around her knees, staring ahead, totally still.

“Doctor?” he said, hesitantly reaching towards her.

She looked up at him. “Agent Coulson. I’ve made a discovery.” she said, even-toned. “I’ve uncovered some new intelligence on the enemy’s plans. Furthermore, I think I have a better understanding of the scepter.”

Coulson looked uncertain. “Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked, concern in his voice. “I think maybe Dr. Banner should take over here, for the time being, don’t you? Why don’t you come with me, somewhere quiet, and we can talk about what happened with the scepter, alright? Alright?” He repeatedly extended his hand to her. She took it and he pulled her up.

“I’m perfectly alright. I’m just experiencing an advanced fear response. It’s past now, mostly. If you could just give me a little more time…” she said.

“Bradford says that’s a bad idea. We’re putting the Scepter in storage.” Coulson said quietly.

“No. Don’t. When I came into contact with it, it told me things. I think I might be able to use it to track down the Tesseract.” she said. “Dr. Banner’s spectrometer network cannot find the cube in time. We don’t have time. People are going to die, Agent Coulson! An alien fleet is coming. Thor was right. We have to stop them from coming to Earth!”

Coulson stopped for a moment at the exit to the storage room, still holding Vahlen’s arm. Banner and Agent Hill were standing by the lab door.

“What happened?” said Hill. Banner stood behind her, averting his eyes.

“I talked to the scepter.” said Vahlen. “It’s alive, there’s a consciousness there, and it has a mind of its own. I saw Loki’s ally. He called the stone in the scepter a… piece of God. Please. It has some significance to them, and it’s connected to the Tesseract, the housing emits the same radioactive signature. If you’ll just let me study it further-”

“Hey,” said Banner, weakly.

“Doctor, you’re not well. If it’s really alive, we have to lock it up like we locked up Loki. Bradford said to keep it contained by any means necessary.” Hill said.

“Hey,” said Banner, “what if we just-”

“I’m not insane!” Vahlen said loudly. “What if it’s our only chance to find the Tesseract?”

“Hey!” Banner said, raising his voice. Everyone fell silent. Hill backed up a few steps until she was behind him, then put a hand on her gun.

“Look. She’s right. She’s an idiot,” he paused, “but she’s right. It’s dangerous to mess with that scepter, I get it, but just, look… what if we studied it under her supervision? If she learned something about it, we might be able to use it to make a breakthrough on the cube. It’s that simple.”

“Bradford was very clear.” said Coulson calmly.

“Bradford’s being careful, that’s his job, it’s not ours. How about this, you guys go tell him we’re continuing work. Tell him what happened with Vahlen, and tell him we’re gonna keep a team here, they’re gonna be armed, we’ll have guys on call and Tony and I-”

Vahlen put a hand on her forehead and closed her eyes.

“Tony and I will study the Scepter under Vahlen’s supervision, with agents present at all times. If anything else happens, we lock it up no questions asked, but, look, Maria, this is the only lead we have.” he said, turning around to look at Agent Hill.

There was silence for a moment.

“I’ll talk to him.” Hill said. “Phil, you stay here.”

Coulson nodded. He walked over to the scepter and looked down at it, then backed away.

Vahlen looked at Banner. Their eyes met. There was concern and sympathy on his face. She crossed her arms. “I’m sorry.” she mouthed. He nodded.

From the floor, the stone called to her with subtle, radiant notes that shone like daylight. She steeled her mind against the yearning to touch it again. Reason, she chastised herself, will rule here. She raised her head, and returned to proper posture.


	9. Rome Burning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team crumbles, and the Helicarrier falls under attack. Old wounds reopen along with the new.

“That’s not possible.” Vahlen said.

“The data says it’s happening, therefore it’s possible.” Tony said. “You know, that’s kind of one of the basic rules of science, you should probably brush up on that.”

“I have five PhDs, I won’t be talked down to in my own laboratory. The scepter produced a different energy signature from the Tesseract. It’s impossible that they’re the same now, these are complex systems, they are not the same mechanism. Look for patterns resembling musical notes. If you can map any reading from it onto a scale, do so. It is talking to us, act like it!” Vahlen said.

“There. Is. Nothing. It’s not working, we need a new approach. I don’t care if you astral projected to Venus, we can’t find the Tesseract this way.” Tony said.

“It’s the only way we can. Our other method is too inefficient to find it in time.” Vahlen said.

“Newsflash, magic isn’t real.” Tony said. “I think maybe you need to take a break.”

Banner looked on, fidgeting nervously. Agent Coulson rubbed his temples. Vahlen opened her mouth to speak again, but stopped as Central entered the lab.

“How’s everything coming along?” he said.

“Great.” Tony said sarcastically. “We actually have less done than we did thirty minutes ago, which is really quite impressive if you think about it.”

“Your facetiousness does you no credit, Mr. Stark.” Central said. “We’re on a tight schedule here. This needs to get done.”

“I’m in charge here,” said Vahlen. “speak to me.”

Central looked at her, his expression inscrutable. “With all due respect, Doctor, I don’t even think you should be here. The incident was… disturbing, to say the least. And now the changes in the scepter are, I gather, failing to materialize as we’d hoped. I’ve sent Natasha to talk to Loki, try to get something out of him. Might be our best shot.”

“That is still our best shot.” Vahlen said, pointing at the scepter.

“Your own documents suggest Loki might have the Tesseract running in just a few days. We need to devote all our efforts to Banner’s spectroscopy project, projections show that-” Central began.

Vahlen cut him off. “It’s not fast enough. Rhodes’s Arc Reactor will allow him to-”

Tony cut her off in turn. “Won’t, actually. Rhodes’s armour is powered by a Mark 2 that hasn’t been recharged in a week and he ran a combat mission with it. It’s not gonna happen. Loki can’t power it up without a full-charge reactor of a newer design.” He crossed his arms. “Just let us handle this.” he said.

Vahlen’s mouth twitched slightly and she turned back to the monitor where she was working, looking furious.

“So we agree then?” Central said.

Vahlen didn’t answer. As Central was leaving, Tony asked him a question that felt like an icicle to the back. “Oh, and, what is Phase 2?”

Central turned mechanically to face him again. At the same time, Steve stormed into the lab and dropped an old rifle on the table. A power cell on its side glowed faintly blue. “Phase 2 is SHIELD uses the cube to make weapons as part of XCOM.”

Central’s expression didn’t change. “Rogers, our science department was focused on the energy implications. We collected those for their power cells.” he said flatly.

“I’m sorry,” said Tony, pulling up a detailed weapon schematic stamped with the SHIELD insignia, “what were you lying?”

“Is this what rational means to you?” said Steve, looking at Vahlen. Her mouth opened in shock.

“I didn’t know anything about this. I studied the circuits, power generation, the military applications were impractical at best, it wouldn’t make any sense for them to… it was a non-concern!” she said to Steve. She turned to Central and, glaring at him, said “Bradford, you lied to me.” There was icy disappointment in her voice.

“There are two extraterrestrials on this ship right now. One has a body temperature similar to Arctic glaciers and shrugs off high-caliber bullets and the other is practically a weapon of mass destruction. Earth would never be safe if we didn’t have weapons on par with their strength. I did what I had to do.” Central said. “The world is filling up with things that we have no control over.”

“We were supposed to be a bright light for all humanity! Who needs to be controlled, Central Officer? Who governs when this is done? Who are you going to conquer?” Vahlen said loudly.

“You have to trust us.” Central said. “These weapons are for the good of all mankind.”

“I’ve heard that one before.” said Tony. “Good guy with a gun. Turns out you can’t always tell who the good guys are.”

“I thought you should understand the importance of technical superiority belonging to the right people.” Central said.

“Yeah, cause the government’s never done anything wrong.” Tony said.

“We have a list of potential threats, we have to be equipped to fight them.” Central said.

Tony pushed a few keys and a list of names appeared on his screen. “Hey, Steve, look, you’re on here… so am I… ooh, I think you’re on here twice, Bruce.” he said, then turned to Central. “Where were you going to aim those guns, Central? Up at them or down at us?”

“We don’t have time for this!” Central said, raising his voice. “We can tear each other apart later. Do your damn job.”

“When we find the Tesseract, who’s gonna get it?” Banner said.

There was silence for a moment.

“Who are we going to give it to? Can any of us agree on that?” he asked again. “I mean, does anyone want to ask Thor? Look at us. We’re a time bomb. We’re… a chemical reaction that creates chaos.”

“Loki forced my hand.” said Central firmly. “I didn’t want to-”

“You didn’t want to keep us in a little box, and let us out when you couldn’t fix things?” Banner said, more loudly. “Tell me why there’s a Hulk-sized cage on this ship, then we’ll talk about Loki forcing your hand.”

“Don’t act like you’re not a threat.” Vahlen said. “What SHIELD did was wrong, but you are dangerous.”

“Hey, who made those taser grenades?” Tony said. “Was it you or Shen? Thought you might be able to explain why they’re so good at shutting down my armours. What’s safe enough for you? Him in a cage?” he pointed at Banner. “Army of War Machine suits? Oh, I know, how about vat-grown Thor clones.” he said, gesturing at the plate containing Asgardian cells. “I’m not stupid.”

“You should have stepped up. ‘Privatizing world peace’. It’s a farce! You have the power and the money to disseminate free, clean energy to the world and you sell it to the wealthy, keeping it a technological fad. You could change the world but you don’t. What do you like about the status quo? The poverty? The starvation? Or maybe it’s the principle of the thing. Take away the arc reactor, the fruit of your selfish labour, and give it to all, and what are you?” Vahlen said, staring at Tony.

“Genius billionaire playboy philanthropist.” Tony snapped. “You’re just jealous that I made something of myself. I don’t even have to try to be better than you. I’ve done more for human progress in four years than you have in your entire career, and I didn’t have to murder any test subjects to do it.”

Vahlen turned away and put her hand on her forehead.

“Hey. Back off.” said Steve. “You did that for yourself, not anyone else. You’re not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you. You may not be a threat, but stop pretending to be a hero.”

“A hero? Like you? You’re a lab rat, Rogers! Everything special about you came out of a bottle.” Tony said.

“That’s enough.” said Central. “Agent Coulson, would you escort Dr. Banner to his room?” Coulson nodded.

“They volunteered!” said Vahlen, whirling back around.

Banner turned to look at her. “They volunteered for an experiment they were assured would be safe, and you fried their goddamn brains.” His tone was accusatory. Central glanced at Coulson, who slowly reached for his gun.

Vahlen took a deep breath. “The scepter is influencing us. We have to get out of the room.” she said.

Tony threw up his hands. “Again with the scepter. Look, it’s not-” He looked at the scepter, which was glowing a bright blue. “Alright, yeah, let’s go.” he said quickly.

There was a low roar like thunder, and fire and force swept the laboratory. Every window and monitor shattered; the air became a storm of tiny blades. Tony raised his arms to shield himself and was thrown to the ground. Banner was launched through the front window into the hangar bay. Ears rang as the flame diffused into the air and vanished like salt in water. Deafening alarms sounded; red light filled the hallway and invaded the room.

Central barely had time to realize he was on the ground before Steve was picking him up from it, hauling him up through the sudden smoke. They looked at each other for a moment, and understanding flashed between them. Central pressed buttons on the communications panel, but nothing happened. He furiously dialed again, then turned to the team and spoke. “Coulson! Bridge comm is out, I’m going up there to find out what’s going on. Page Hill, tell her to get Thor and get him in the hangar ASAP. We’re under attack; Stark, Rogers-” They looked at him, Steve steadying Tony as he stood. “Do your jobs.”

Steve looked at Tony. “The suit. Go. Get Wick, too.” Tony nodded and left the room briskly. Vahlen struggled to her feet and walked over to the scepter. Steve stood in her way. “What are you doing?” he said.

“If we’re under attack, they’re here for Loki. He knows I’m studying the Scepter, Coulson and I will move it somewhere safer.” she said.

Coulson looked up from his pager. “The armoury.” he said.

“Do it.” said Central, and walked out of the room into the crimson halls, disappearing into the smoke.

Steve nodded to Vahlen, who picked up the scepter. The corner of her mouth turned slightly upwards and her eyes focused on the scepter’s tip. “Agent, you OK here?” Steve said. Coulson nodded. “Go get ‘em.” he said. With that, Steve followed the others.

The bridge was in a state of pandemonium. Fury’s booming voice rang out above the chaos as alarms and fire extinguishers tried their best to drown him out. “Turn up that engine! Number 3 engine is down. Hill, can we get a run-in?”

“I’ll get Shen on it!” Hill shouted back at him. Suddenly, her pager rang. She checked it and then looked at Fury. “Hulk’s loose in the main hangar bay. I’ll get Thor there and take a team to secure Loki.” she said. Fury nodded.

The nurse grabbed the wall to steady himself as the Minerva groaned and shook from the shockwave. Matt gasped as he was jostled by the force. Seconds later, two armed agents entered the room and began checking every corner. Matt looked around, bewildered. “Hey. What’s going on?” he asked, but no one answered. “Guys?” he said.

One of the agents looked at his partner. “Clear.” he said, then turned to Matt. “You alright?” Matt nodded. “Helicarrier’s under attack. Stay here.” the agent said.

Matt looked him in the eyes. “I don’t think so.” he said. “Where are they?”

The agent glanced at his partner. “Contingency for this scenario is you stay here, we handle things.” he said halfheartedly to Matt.

Matt seemed to weigh his options for a moment, then levitated off the bed and onto the ground beside it, laying himself down gingerly on his feet. “Get me some clothes.” he said.

The agents looked at each other. They nodded nearly simultaneously.

Loki paced inside his cell, faster now that he’d heard the explosion. He watched the entrances, one on each side of the cell, wondering who’d arrive first; Barton or SHIELD. Just as he turned around, he heard the door to his right open, and turned to look. There was Stark, infuriatingly shiny and brash in his mechanical bunker, and there was Wick with him, carrying a shotgun.

“Long time no see, Space Invaders, how’re you doing?” Tony said, walking around the side of the cage, Wick following close behind. “I gotta say, as far as breakouts go, this one… needs work.”

Loki stopped pacing and smirked. The other door exploded off its hinges. Shattered metal sprayed into the room and left minute scratches on the material of the cage. Smoke and fire spewed from the opening, and Tony readied his repulsors. Wick rested the shotgun on the suit’s shoulder.

The first soldier, wearing black body armour and carrying an automatic rifle, entered the doorway and was immediately knocked down by a shotgun blast to the torso. A hail of bullets sprayed from the other side of the smoke. Wick ducked behind Tony’s back as the fire pinged harmlessly off the armour’s exterior. After a few more bursts, none of which had any effect, Tony said “My turn.”

As he raised his arms to unleash his weaponry on the other side of the door, an arrow hit his shoulder joint and sent a massive pulse of electricity through his suit’s systems, wreathing his body in blue-white lightning. His heads-up display flickered, then JARVIS’s voice calmly intoned “Suit power at two hundred thirty-two percent.”

Tony smiled and rocketed through the doorway. He slammed into a soldier on the other side, who hit the wall and collapsed to the ground. More gunfire from the others, all of it ineffectual. He raised his hands and two wide beams of orange energy projected two more of his assailants into the corridor wall. The metal bent under the impact. An arrow flew past his head. He turned to look at its source; Barton, wearing some kind of infrared goggles. As soon as he loosed the arrow, he ran off around a corner. Without looking, Tony hit the last mercenary with a repulsor blast that sent him flying down the hallway and leapt off to chase Barton.

Meanwhile, Wick studied the control panel, trying to find the button that dropped the cage. As he leaned over it, an arrow struck a USB port inches from his hand. He stared for a second as it began to interface with the panel and then grabbed it and yanked it away, tossing it on the ground; but the damage had been done. The door to the cage swung open and Loki disappeared. A chill spread through Wick’s body. He slowly receded to the wall and pressed his back against it, dropped his shotgun and drew his handgun, and listened harder than he’d listened in his life.

The distant echoes of Tony’s repulsors and scattered gunfire were loud enough to make him nervous. He wondered if Loki would risk approaching him. The seconds dragged on. No movement but his own breathing; no sound but the distant shots and the alarm in the hallway. Finally, the door at the other side of the room opened, then closed. Wick stood slowly. He holstered his handgun, leaned down and grabbed the long gun, and slowly began walking towards the door. As he was about to reach it, the smallest sound behind him triggered his reflexes.

In a fluid motion, he turned and jammed the butt of the gun into a spot at head height. He felt it connect. Loki’s invisibility sloughed off him like a cloak and he staggered back, clutching his face. Wick moved the barrel sideways; his movements seemed sluggish, but unusually disciplined, to Loki’s heightened perception. The frost giant leaned to the side and the shotgun blast sailed past him, striking the wall and causing a shower of sparks. Loki rushed forwards and slammed his fist into Wick’s jaw. He fell backwards, but as soon as he hit the ground he’d drawn his handgun. Loki advanced, stopped for a split second, and then was struck in the chest by an explosive bullet. To Wick’s surprise, the round passed through him and hit the ceiling, knocking out one of the lights. Loki appeared unharmed, smirked slightly, and vanished; an illusion.

Wick stood quickly, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he searched for Loki’s new position. He backed through the doorway and quickly locked it, then turned and began running down the hallway, checking his corners as he headed for the armoury.

Hill’s footsteps down the hallway were like steady rainfall, swift and relentless. The agents behind her stopped to check every room and hallway, Agent Romanoff bringing up the rear. The alarm blaring through the corridors masked their steps, but added to the tension in the air. Every step could be their last. Every hallway could hide assailants. It wasn’t clear where the enemy had entered the ship, it wasn’t clear where they were going, and-

The door in front of Hill opened and across the intersection in front of them stood a team of soldiers, rifles pointed at her squad. In a split second they fired, automatic gunfire drowning out the alarm and all other sound.

She opened her eyes to find that somehow, she was still alive. Her agents looked in amazement at the bullets, dozens of them, hovering, flattened, in midair before the team. A pilot in a dark green flight suit stepped out into the intersection as the bullets clattered harmlessly to the ground all at once. More gunfire. The bullets hung in the air like wind chimes, dangling helplessly. The pilot pulled his arm back like a javelin thrower and the soldiers’ guns were ripped from their hands. They, too, hovered for a moment and then with a flippant gesture from the pilot they were thrown down the hallway.

“Garetty?” Hill said, awed and surprised.

One of the soldiers turned around to run and crashed into an invisible wall. Matt turned around, pushed up the visor on his flight helmet and nodded. “Sorry I took so long, I wasn’t gonna come out here in just a hospital gown. Hey, what do I do with these guys?”

One of the soldiers rushed at Matt with a knife. The blade bounced off him and the soldier doubled over, clutching his arm. The agents moved up and pointed their weapons at them. Shortly, all four raised their arms in surrender.

“Just leave them to us, you need to get topside, the Hulk’s loose in the hangar bay and I don’t know if Thor can take him.” Hill said. Matt nodded and looked around.

“Er, where do I go?” he said.

“I’ll get you there.” Natasha said, grabbing him by the arm and leading him down the hallway.

“We’ll take these ones to the brig, ma’am,” one of the agents said. Hill headed for the armoury, gun drawn, a single agent following her.

The internal hangar of the Helicarrier was a scene of pandemonium. Flames roared skyward again as the fuel of another jet ignited and Hulk tossed a broken wing across the deck, knocking over a pile of crates. He slammed the ground and roared, storming through the fire he’d just spilled in search of something else to destroy. The agents cowering behind the fuel cart just a few meters away uttered silent prayers.

They were answered. A loud metallic clang echoed out across the deck as Mjolnir struck it. “Banner!” Thor shouted, his hammer at his feet, “This is folly! We are not your enemies!”

The Hulk stared, uncomprehending, for a second or so. Then, like an angry bull, he charged across the deck and leapt at Thor. The thunder god grabbed his hammer and rolled out of the way. Hulk’s fists shattered the ground and sent bits of metal flying through the air. Thor raised his eyebrows at the speed and ferocity on display. “Banner, halt this-” he began, but the Hulk lashed out and punched him square in the chest, sending him flying backwards into the hangar wall.

His head spun. He stood to see that the Hulk was headed out onto the main deck, where pilots and agents were scrambling to get out of his way and secure as many planes as possible from his wrath. He threw the hammer. In a flash, it sailed down the deck and struck Hulk in the side of the head. He turned around, rage smouldering in his eyes, as the hammer returned. Thor looked at Hulk, then Mjolnir, wondering why the green giant hadn’t been laid out by the force of the blow. This would be a tough fight.

The Hulk charged him again, and Thor tossed his hammer upwards, following it to the ceiling and causing Hulk to strike the wall. While he was disoriented, Thor landed behind him and struck him full force in the back, slamming him into the distended metal again. The wall groaned and buckled slightly. Hulk turned and unleashed a flurry of blows. Thor ducked under the first punch and swung, but as he was about to hit Hulk in the jaw, his foe’s second blow connected, sending him flying down the deck. As Thor got to his feet, Hulk picked up a massive crate and threw it at him. He barely avoided it by stepping to the side.

Thor spun his hammer, preparing to throw it again, and Hulk began to charge but suddenly slowed down. He took a few labored steps and then stopped in confusion.

“Dr. Banner?” Matt said, his voice wavering, arms outstretched to form a telekinetic field around Hulk.

Hulk looked at him and roared. He pushed outwards on the telekinetic walls, his muscles bulging with the effort; it was as though his hands were moving through molasses. He roared again in frustration and started taking deliberate steps towards Matt. Matt instinctively backed up and redoubled his efforts. Hulk continued to plough through the layers of telekinetic force, building up momentum, approaching faster. Matt began trying to lift him off the ground, but he dug in with each of his heavy steps, anchoring himself. The bits of metal thrown up from the floor hovered in midair or shot up towards the ceiling as Matt continued exerting the upwards current.

“Keep going!” Thor shouted to Matt, running between him and the Hulk. “Keep him still!” As Hulk roared again and took a few more thunderous steps, struggling to remain anchored, Thor spun his hammer and loosed it at full force into Hulk’s torso. Matt changed tactics, supporting Mjolnir’s blow with a pulse of force. Hulk was knocked onto his back by the combined impacts, and as he struggled to stand, held down by Matt’s weakening grip, Thor leapt and planted Mjolnir on the center of his chest. Hulk roared and raged and pulled on the enchanted hammer with all his bestial might, but it remained motionless. He was trapped.

He lashed out with his limbs, putting more holes in the deck and sending bits of material flying, but his rage failed to free him. Matt took off the flight helmet and put his hand to his nose, trying to staunch the flow of blood. Thor took a deep breath. “Banner! Cease this folly.” he said. “You are safe.”

At that moment, a grey shape trailing orange fire flew through the glass of the bridge far above them. The War Machine suit. Thor looked at the bridge, then at the hammer. An expression of surprise and disappointment crossed his face. “Telekinite! Go, do us proud!” he said, pointing at the bridge. “I’ll stay here and keep an eye on him.”

Matt looked at him and sighed, then nodded. He unsteadily levitated off the ground, then sailed upwards towards the bridge, blood dripping down his chin.

Fury hit the deck. Immediately the bridge was filled with the sound of gunfire. Sparks and bits of metal rained down from above, and he was blind, his one good eye pressed to the floor. He began crawling to the engine control console. He looked up just in time to see two agents gunned down by Rhodes’s wrist gun, and took cover behind one of the bridge computers. He could see the engine console just a few feet away. Rhodes would go there. There was no doubt about it, they were trying to take down the ship. He cocked his gun and watched as the battle raged around him. He heard a grenade go off near where Rhodes had landed, and then the sickening whirring of the War Machine armour’s minigun. He couldn’t let any more of his agents die.

He stood and turned, reached into his trench coat, and threw a taser grenade at Rhodes’s chestplate. The minigun finished spooling up and shot it out of the air. The glowing red eyes of the suit pierced Fury’s soul as Rhodes turned to him. He raised his arms and began shredding Fury’s cover. Fury ducked and covered his head. Suddenly, Central kicked open the bridge door, shouldering an anti-tank rocket launcher from the armoury on the deck below. He aimed and pulled the trigger; the recoil caused him to stagger back, but the rocket flew true, sailing past Fury. A massive explosion deafened him, and smoke filled the room. There was silence as the haze settled, and the fog of war descended across the ruined room. Then, a young man’s voice rang from the front of the bridge. “Colonel Rhodes, um, take off the armour.”

Rhodes staggered to his feet. The scepter’s ice-cold grip on his mind was beginning to weaken. His heads-up display told him the rocket impact had shredded the outer layer of his chest armour and weakened control over several of the suit’s joints, but integrity was still high. The smoke was thick as oil, but through the fire and the red tint of the visor, he saw a dark-coloured, ill-fitting flight suit. Matt opened his visor again and said “It’s time to give up.” His words sounded uncertain. Rhodes wanted to take off the armour, step into the smoky void and sleep for days. He wondered what had happened to Tony in the explosion. “Canopy-” he began, trying to eject from his metal prison, but the frosty hand settled back onto his shoulder and the icy blue crept back into his eyes.

Matthew Garetty is a high-priority target, Loki’s distant voice said, screaming out of the blue-black void. Kill him.

He raised his arm, and the bullets sprayed like water from a hose. They halted in a great cloud in the air between them, spinning lead discs flattened by the barrier. Shaking off the lethargy and shellshock, and realizing bullets would do Matt no harm, he leapt off the ground and tried to tackle him into the open sky. He missed, and his passage from the command tower was accelerated by a telekinetic thrust. Rhodes rocketed out into the open and collided with an antenna, and his damaged thrusters failed just long enough for him to fall onto a nearby platform with an almighty clang.

Back on the bridge, Fury shouted “Sitwell, lock engine control out of the bridge systems. Do it now!” Agent Sitwell rushed to the control panel and began typing like a man possessed. Central readied the rocket launcher to fire again.

On the platform, Rhodes stood slowly, the limbs of his armour feeling heavier than they ever had before. He tried to jump back to the bridge, but his thrusters cut out again and he plummeted to the deck. The HUD said his battery was at 11%. He climbed out of the shattered ground and immediately recognized a familiar face. Wick, the assassin. His hands moved at an incredible speed and before Rhodes could react, his gun was drawn. The first bullet struck Rhodes just above the left eyebrow. His HUD went dark and his ears rang. He raised his arm sluggishly, but as he began to fire, Captain Rogers interposed himself between Rhodes and Wick, the bullets ricocheting off his shield. Rogers advanced, and Rhodes rocketed backwards, gaining altitude and reaching the center of the deck.

As the minigun slid from the shoulder of the suit, Wick and Cap ran in opposite directions. Wick took cover under the wing of a plane, and Cap, chased by gunfire from Rhodes’s wrist, ducked behind a stack of crates. The repulsors at Rhodes’s feet sputtered and yanked him about erratically in the air, forcing him to use one of his hand repulsors to remain stable.

At the back of the deck, Hulk slammed his fist into the deck again and tried again, fruitlessly, to tear the hammer off his chest. Thor looked back at Rhodes, whose machine guns were harrying Cap as he ran to a flanking position, and then at the hammer. “Banner!” he shouted, earning a hateful gaze from Hulk, “Break free!” Hulk roared in incoherent rage and writhed in frustration. Thor shook his head. “Does anyone have a spare hammer? I’d settle for an axe.” The SHIELD soldiers shook their heads.

Natasha took a deep breath. Slowly and carefully, she approached Hulk from the left side, stepping through the rubble of the deck. She willed her hands to stop shaking. Her heartbeat was louder than the gunfire. “Hey, big guy.” she said. Hulk turned his head to look at her. She froze for a split second, then continued approaching, even more slowly. She tried desperately to think of something to say. She reached back into half-remembered childhood, before the horrors of her youth. “The sun’s getting real low.” she said, the calm of her voice belying the terror she felt. “It’s, it’s getting real low there, big… fella…” She approached within the reach of his massive hand, but it lay still.

Thor glanced urgently at her. She met his eyes for a split second and then returned to Banner, placing her hand on the side of his head. “Shhh…” she said, and the eyes in their sunken sockets closed for the briefest of moments, the eyelids fluttering, and the giant began to become a man again.

Thor reached out for his hammer, and it flew across the deck, as light as air, as Banner continued to transform back into himself. He held it tightly in his hand and felt the stress of combat slough off him like a heavy cloak. He spun Mjolnir and smiled as he took aim at the War Machine armour.

Coulson hit the control panel, then hit it again when the door failed to respond. It slid open with a grating, grinding noise, metal scraping against metal. He caught a glimpse of a gun on the other side and raised his sidearm, only to realize that it was Hill. The two breathed sighs of relief and nodded to one another. “Vahlen needs to get into the armoury.” Coulson said.

“Stark’s just taken down the last of Loki’s soldiers and says Barton is back to his senses, but Loki’s free and he could be anywhere.” Hill said. Coulson nodded and ushered Vahlen through the door, then down the hallway towards the armoury. Suddenly, Hill’s agent cried out. There was gunfire behind them. Coulson tapped Vahlen on the shoulder and said “Go, I’ll cover you!”

She ran to the armoury door and put the scepter down on the table, then turned around. Hill was retreating, eyes fixed ahead at where the lifeless body of the other agent was lying at the end of the hallway. “Where is he!?” Coulson shouted after her.

“I don’t know.” she said, her voice wavering. “He’s invisible.”

Coulson fired a few shots past her down the hallway, trying to stop Loki from approaching. His gun clicked just as he entered the armoury and he immediately ran to the lockers on the wall, searching for a new weapon. Orphaned footsteps echoed down the steel walls at breakneck pace. Hill fired once and then Loki burst from the ether, tearing the gun out of her hands and tossing it aside in a single fluid motion. He went for a jab to her chin, but she dodged and countered with a right hook. He caught her fist and she groaned as he squeezed hard. Coulson winced at the agonizing sound of fingers breaking under the pressure, and pulled the Destroyer cannon off the wall, furrowing his brow.

Vahlen rushed to the console and hit the buttons to close the armoury door, but her hands were shaking, and she input the wrong command. It beeped loudly and impudently. In the hallway, Hill landed a solid kick to Loki’s shin and then knocked him back with an elbow strike. She drew a second handgun and raised it, but before she could fire Loki slung a knife into the lower part of her neck. She staggered back to the wall and slumped to the ground, clutching the wound. Loki turned back to the door, triumph in his eyes, and stared; first, covetously at the scepter, and then in dawning realization at the crouching agent next to it, aiming a massive cannon directly at his chest. It fired, burning heat and concussive force forced themselves upon him, the world spun, and Loki staggered to his feet at the end of the hallway, only to see the triple doors of the armoury close and lock before him. Pain shot through him, delayed like thunder after lightning, and he gasped. Hill stared at him and smiled slightly as the colour drained from her eyes and she fell limp.

“Good work.” said Vahlen flatly. “I was worried for a moment there.”

Coulson stared blankly at the inches of steel that stood between him and his dying friend. The cannon clattered to the ground and he stepped back. His heart sank to the floor. Hill was gone. He looked to Vahlen, but she merely glanced at him with the appraising, unfeeling gaze she used on laboratory specimens. A chill went through him, and the silence reasserted itself as the echoes of the gunfire faded. He put his head in his hands and stepped to the side of the room. The distant sirens still blared, but for today, Coulson’s battle was over. He’d wait in this steel box for rescue with the scientist.

He hated it like he had never hated anything before.

Bullet after screaming bullet ricocheted off the gleaming surface of Cap’s shield as he ran to a new piece of cover. The harsh, leaden hail of destruction raining down from Rhodes’s guns was so thick he worried it might melt his only armour away, vibranium be damned. Then there was the steady, precise fire of Wick’s handgun, taking some of the pressure off him, redirecting some of that burning wrath onto the assassin’s position. They both knew they couldn’t stand against this for long. Cap looked over at Thor when he reached the crates he was running to; the Asgardian didn’t have his hammer yet. In desperation, Cap leapt out into the open and threw his shield at the armour’s neck joint.

It sailed through the air like a discus and the joint exploded in a shower of sparks. Rhodes lost altitude and the minigun turned to Cap’s position. Cap watched his shield drop uselessly to the ground beneath the armour and regret shot through him. He jumped back behind the crates and ducked as Rhodes’s fire shredded through them. In seconds, he knew they’d be riddled with bullets, and him with them. At that moment, a thunderous impact sounded across the deck, then another.

Wick watched the hammer fly from the far end of the carrier and strike Rhodes directly in the head. The armour descended like lead in water and skidded across the surface of the deck. Wick took careful aim. Rhodes stood, staggering like a boxer in a losing match. The helmet was malfunctioning. Its eyes flickered, then the visor retracted over his face, exposing his head. His eyes were clear. Rhodes wondered where he was, what he’d done. He remembered serving Loki. The sky was full of smoke and the ground smelled like spent shell casings. He looked out over the flaming deck in confusion and horror.

Wick’s second bullet fired true. The armour collapsed to the deck with somber finality.


	10. That Terrible Calm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team finds its resolve for the final confrontation with Loki.

Banner staggered to his feet, aching all over as though compressed in a vise, and hastily put on the long coat a sympathetic engineer handed to him. The gunshots had died down but he could hear the shouting still. Natasha was standing a few feet away, her face still as she listened intently to her earpiece. She glanced at him and said, her voice slightly wavering, “Agent Hill is down. Barton’s been captured.” He and the others within earshot felt a chill go through them, but no one was stricken more deeply than Banner. “Was it me?” he asked, resigned, expecting a silent glare that meant “murderer”. Natasha shook her head. “No, it wasn’t you.” she said. Banner sighed, feeling as though a weight had been lifted off him, but Natasha could see that something far heavier dragged behind him still.

She wanted, desperately, to put a hand on his shoulder and whisper into his ear all the secret ways in which she found the strength to forgive herself. She turned wordlessly and walked back towards the command tower to deliver her report.

They wandered into the briefing room one by one, faces painted with shock. Wick stared off at something a kilometer away through the walls and the doors and the clouds. Tony was paralyzed and silent. Banner looked like a sick child, pale and wrapped in mismatched clothing, sitting off on his own. Thor was grim like distant storm-clouds, and Matt looked uncertainly around for reassurance that did not come. Cap put on the face he used when he needed to look brave for the cameras.

Fury walked over to the table, more slowly than normal. Bits of shattered metal and plastic were still scattered around the deck. He stood while the others sat.

“We’re dead in the air up here. No communications. No cube. Loki got one of our jets, he’s gone. I lost my one good eye.” He looked wistfully at Hill’s station on the bridge, empty and covered in ash and glass. His gaze turned slowly over the men assembled at the table. “Central told me what happened. It’s true; it’s all true. We built an arsenal for XCOM. But there’s a reason it was locked in the basement, and it’s not because we were ashamed. We had something better. We had you. There was an idea, Stark knows this, called the Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if together they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Battles we wouldn’t have the will to face. Battles we’d lose. Battles we’d already lost. I trusted you to win those battles, and I trusted you to be the heroes we needed. So did Hill. The offer stands. This attack, this invasion, it needs avengers.”

Tony got up and left the room. Fury tracked him unmercifully with his eye, then looked back down at the table and took a ragged breath. Silence prevailed, for a time.

Then, Matt’s shaky voice. “I-I’ll do it.” It looked like he was trying to stand, but instead fell back into his chair, clutching his side, eyes straight ahead. “I’ll do it.” he said again.

Banner looked away. Steve looked at him, then at Matt. As he was about to move, Thor put his hand down on the table. “No more waiting.” he said firmly.

Steve stood and turned to Fury. “I don’t think there’s anyone here who wouldn’t go through hell to take him down, Director.” he said, then glanced at Banner, who met his gaze and nodded softly.

“Can you find him?” Fury said to Banner.

“No.” Banner said. “But I don’t have to. Tony, he and I got to talking, and when we were discussing how Loki might power up the Tesseract, Tony said an arc reactor might do it. One at full power.”

“How does that help Loki?” Fury said. “Stark’s got them all squirreled away.”

Banner shook his head. “Stark Tower. His clean energy initiative, he switched the entire tower over to arc reactors. It was all over the news.”

Fury nodded. “New York, then. We’re dead in the air. Rogers... get Achilles out of his tent. We’ve got one shot.”

“I don’t think he’ll listen to me.” Steve said.

Fury thought for a moment, then pressed a button on his console. “Bradford,” he said, “you there?”

Clint’s eyes shot open. He jerked his arm forward, but it didn’t move. Straps bound him to the bed. He looked around wildly and tried to move his legs, but they too were restrained. Only then, as he was straining against the bindings, did he realize Natasha was standing over him.

“You’re gonna be alright,” he heard her say, but he wasn’t listening. He was hunting for that serpentine voice in his mind. His lips moved without a moment’s thought as to what they were saying.

“You know that, do you? I’ve got to go in. I’ve got to get him out of my head.” There was a barely-restrained panic behind his words.

“We don’t have that long.” Natasha said. “It’s gonna take time.”

“I don’t understand.” he said. “Have you ever had someone take out your brain and play? Pull you out and send something else in? Do you know what it’s like to be unmade?”

“You know I do.” Natasha said.

“Why am I back? How did you get him out?” Clint asked.

“Cognitive recalibration. I hit you really hard in the head.” Natasha said, unfastening the restraints.

“Thanks,” Clint said, and then “How many agents?”

Natasha gave him a disapproving look. “Don’t. Don’t do that to yourself, Clint. This is Loki. This is monsters and magic and nothing we were ever trained for. It’s not your fault.”

“Heartwarming.” a voice with an unclear accent said from the doorway, the tone even and neutral in a way that almost felt mocking. Natasha stood up straight. They both looked at Vahlen with a hint of annoyance. She crossed her arms and continued, walking over to Clint’s side as she did so. “We’re going after Loki. One of you is going to have to fly the plane. And there’s something else. We’re having Shen quick-fix the joints and wiring on Rhodes’s armour. We need someone in there.”

“Why isn’t this coming from Fury?” Natasha said coldly.

“He’s busy talking to the Council.” Vahlen said.

Natasha shook her head. “I’ve seen those blueprints. I won’t fit the suit.” she said.

“Someone has to do it.” Vahlen said.

“Do what?” Wick said, walking into the room.

“The War Machine suit is without an occupant.” Vahlen said, looking pointedly at him. “I don’t suppose you’d like to volunteer your services?”

“Why is he loose?” Wick said, gesturing slightly at Clint.

“He’s alright. Head impacts break Loki’s hold, he’s back to normal.” Natasha said.

Wick twitched slightly. “They do?” he asked. Dogged doubts ran through his mind, pursuing him. He felt like he was planning an assassination in reverse. Could he have knocked out the armour's knee joints instead of going for the head? Was Rhodes conscious when he fired? He felt an ancient chill in his veins, old as his first kill. He thought maybe its name was regret; it had been a long time. What had he done? Would they turn on him for it?

There was silence for a moment. Vahlen’s icy gaze was fixed on Wick, those iron eyes pulling at him like meat hooks, and eventually it compelled him to speak. “I’ll do it.” he said, and quickly left the room.

“And I thought you were a person of few words.” Vahlen said, raising her eyebrows and looking at Natasha, who stared back, unamused. “Our extraterrestrial friend is in New York. We are on a timer. I would hate to keep the Central Officer waiting.” she said before leaving.

“Who’s left?” Clint asked.

“Rogers, Garetty, you remember them from the Avengers Initiative briefing; Thor; there’s talk Banner might be on the ground team to deal with the cube; Bradford’s working on getting Stark out there. And then there’s us.” Natasha said.

“Good. Putting an arrow in Loki’s eye socket should help me sleep better.” Clint said.

“Now you sound like you.” Natasha said, sitting down next to him.

“But you don’t.” Clint said. “You’re a spy, not a soldier. Now you want to wade into a war. Why? What did Loki do to you?”

“He didn’t, I just…” she began.

“Natasha.” Clint said.

“There’s red in my ledger. I’m going in there to wipe it out.” she said, looking at the door. “I think Wick just might be doing the same.”

Tony’s pulse hammered at the back of his head. He stared into the empty cell at the bright white floor, pacing back and forth. He could have stopped the escape, he thought to himself. He just had to stand back instead of going off by himself like an idiot. Then he might have been there on the deck instead of Wick. Then, Rhodes would still be alive. Loki would still be in that cell. Things would be alright.

Bradford came in just as Tony slammed his fist against the cell door. “Mr. Stark.” he said.

“What?” Tony said, turning to look at him. He had the look of a taut rope, ready to snap.

“They’re gearing up. You ready?” Bradford said, keeping eye contact.

“I never asked for this, you know.” Tony said. “I just wanted to-”

“Wanted to what? Take the suit out for joyrides on the weekends? Do a bit of vigilante justice? We don’t live in that world anymore.” Central said, taking a step forward.

“Damn right we don’t. Your Tesseract project made sure of that. You brought this on yourself.” Tony said.

“They were always going to come someday. We just got unlucky.” Central said.

“Cut the crap, Bradford. All the lies. Phase 2. You put Moira Vahlen in charge of the Tesseract. You brought Loki, you picked up that… rabid dog, that hired gun, you killed…” Tony paused and took a breath. “You screwed up! I’m not going to clean up your mess.” He stepped closer to him.

“Is that what this is about? Rhodes? Rhodes volunteered! He knew the risks! He died for something bigger than us.” Central said, raising his voice.

“Bigger than you!” Tony said. “You sucked me into this. I’m breaking loose. Keep the suit, I just want out.” He turned away from Central.

Central’s voice softened. “You’re right, we sucked you in. And we lied, and we kept you in the dark, and we thought we were better than you. Because damned if our boots weren’t bigger than yours. We were SHIELD. And it was a mistake.” He paused until Stark looked back at him.

“It was a mistake.” he repeated. “Rhodes died for it. It’s on me. I should have listened. I should have backed Fury on the Avengers Initiative from day one, and we should’ve been more careful. Things should have gone differently. But they didn't, and this battle isn’t over. Help us end it.”

Tony shook his head slightly and tried to look at anything but Central. “I’ll do it.” he said at last. “I’ll do it because Rhodey would tear me a new one if I didn’t. But don’t think this changes anything.”

Central sighed and looked at him with tired eyes. He crossed his arms behind his back. “Nothing ever changes.” he said. “Glad to have you on board. Suit up, you’re headed to New York.”

“New York?” Tony said, incredulous. “What’s there?” He paused, and then muttered “Son of a bitch.”


	11. Galaga

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki battles the Avengers. The stakes are high.

Fury paced back and forth in front of his console. Central’s neck was bent down and he had his hand on his earpiece. He looked up at Fury suddenly. “Banner just confirmed the location,” he said, crossing his arms behind his back. “The gamma signature from New York is undeniably the cube. We don’t have much time.”

Fury stopped and stared out the shattered glass. “Director?” Central said.

The Quinjet roared by and streaked off into the distance, piercing through the clouds like a shark through water. Two trails of fire followed it, one meandering and one arrow-straight.

Fury smiled. “I knew it!” he said, satisfied. “There they go.” He stared in what seemed like pride, or perhaps wonder. Then, his expression hardened. “Now to explain this to the Council. Hill, get me onscreen.” Silence fell over the bridge and a chill came into the air. Central silently walked over to one of the functioning consoles and pressed a few buttons. The holoscreen flickered to life. All of the Council members began talking at once.

“Director, what just-”

“Manhattan, Fury? Of all the places to fight, you-”

“The Minerva was recorded on no less than thirty-seven-”

Fury waited patiently for them to stop. Finally, they looked at him, like the gods holding court in Olympus, their eyes demanding a hundred answers to a hundred questions.

“Everything is under control.” Fury said.

“How can it be?” one of them said. “The Minerva is crippled. XCOM is months from being ready under optimal conditions, and these are far from optimal, Director. The National Guard will take hours to mobilize in sufficient numbers to stop an alien invasion.”

“We don’t need the Guard or XCOM.” Fury said. “We’ve got the Avengers.”

“The what?” The councilman’s voice was flat and tired. “Fury, not again.”

“Is this some sort of joke?” another said.

Fury raised his arm, looking about to launch into a tirade, but Central spoke out of turn.

“Councilwoman, I can assure you Fury is completely serious. The portal hasn’t opened yet, and our team will be able to halt the invasion.”

“You can’t possibly know that.” the first councilman said. “I move to ready the nuclear option.”

There were immediate nods of assent from the others.

“That is the island of Manhattan, Councilman.” Fury said sternly. “Until I’m certain my team can’t hold it, I will not order a nuclear strike against a civilian population.”

“What if we fired the nuke through the portal?” a councilwoman said quietly.

“With all due respect, what is this, Star Wars?” Fury said incredulously. “That’ll never work! Give my people time.”

“We don’t have time.” the councilman said.

The last piece of armour receded into the floor. Tony walked off the landing platform down the stairs to the bar and began to pour himself a drink. Loki wasn’t far behind.

“Please tell me you’re going to appeal to my humanity.” he said mockingly, striding in through the opposite door with a satisfied smirk on his face.

“Uh… actually, I’m planning to threaten you.” Tony said.

“You should have left your armour on for that.” Loki said, coming closer.

Tony held up a small, rectangular device and pressed a button on the side. A high-pitched ringing filled the room. Loki looked at him, confused.

Tony shrugged. “Worth a shot.” he said. He turned the device off.

Loki still seemed incredulous. “What was that supposed to accomplish?” he said. Engines roared and then fell silent above him as the Quinjet landed gracefully. He moved to the stairs, to reach the rooftop, but was interrupted by a black shape entering his peripheral vision. Wick raised his arms and unleashed a hail of bullets with pinpoint accuracy. They passed through Loki, who dispersed like light through a prism and vanished. Wick and Tony looked at one another. Tony’s eyes widened. He strapped on a pair of bracelets and gestured to the ceiling.

Banner, Vahlen and Natasha rushed down the Quinjet ramp. Selvig simply stood there, staring at them with a contented smile on his face. Vahlen pointed the Scepter at him and a wisp of blue energy emerged from his chest and returned to the weapon’s tip. He shook his head and immediately began stammering.

“The scepter, the energy… I built in a failsafe when I realized he had lost it. You can use it to pass through the shield, halt the opening of the portal! Quickly, there’s still time.” he said.

Vahlen immediately plunged the Scepter into the shimmering energy field around the portal device, trying to touch it to the cube, but there was resistance. Pulses of pain shot through her arm as the shield shocked her nerves. She grimaced and continued pushing forward. Suddenly, Natasha shouted “Look out!”

She turned her head and watched a knife whizz by Natasha’s head as she dodged to one side. Loki was approaching from the middle of the roof, eyes fixed on her. Banner stepped between them as Natasha began firing at the Asgardian. The bullets ricocheted off his chest. He approached and swung a knife at her throat, but she sidestepped and kicked him in the leg. He fell to one knee, then stood, swinging his arm upwards and catching her in the sternum. She flew back several feet and was thrown to the ground.

He stood, eyes full of malice, and faced Banner. “What are you waiting for?” he said. “Get angry. It won’t save you.”

“That’s my secret, Loki.” Banner began. Loki dashed forward at blinding speed, grabbed him by the throat and physically hurled him off the side of the building. He was already beginning to transform as he fell. Now there was nothing standing between Loki and Vahlen. She looked at him, eyes wide with fear. He drew a knife and lunged, but a bullet to the back threw off his balance. He turned, unharmed, and threw the knife at Natasha before she could fire again. The spy rolled out of the way. Loki turned back to Vahlen, ripped the scepter from her grip effortlessly and backhanded her, causing her to fall to the ground.

Wick shakily ascended to the level of the rooftop and the minigun folded out of his armour’s shoulder. “Give up.” he said flatly.

The Tesseract howled with pent-up power and shot a bolt of blue-black energy into the center of the midday sky. A wound was immediately torn open with a rush of air, a portal. The vacuum beckoned from beyond. Then, the chariots of the Chitauri began to pour forth. “I don’t think so.” Loki said, smiling.

Wick spun up the minigun, but Loki simply shimmered and disappeared in a faint pulse of golden light. “He’s gone.” Wick said into the radio.

As the last pieces of his armour attached themselves to his body and powered up, Stark took out his earplugs. “Call it, Cap.” he said.

Down on the ground, Cap received the message and started giving orders. Matt, standing next to him, wasn’t listening. His heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the hole in the sky and the gaping void beyond, at the monsters pouring out of it and the fiery blue rain they were already sending down on the city. The pain in his ribs was getting worse. He fought back the urge to cough, knowing the agony it would bring. “Did you hear that?” Cap said, looking right at him.

“Uh, what?” Matt said.

“Loki’s got the Scepter, we need it to close the portal. I have to find the Hulk, everyone else is tied up.” Cap said. He gestured towards the portal, where Stark’s explosives and Thor’s lightning were already blowing holes in the endless horde. “Fly up there, get Vahlen’s tech, find the Scepter, take it from him like you did last time. I’m counting on you.” Cap clapped a strong hand on his shoulder. It hovered centimeters away from the skin. Matt put down his barrier to allow the Captain’s reassuring touch. “We’re going to win this fight.” Cap said.

Matt nodded and took off, soaring towards the top of the tower.. A chariot flew past him, peppering the side of an office building with explosive bolts. The shattering glass brought back painful memories. Matt halted, turned and steered the chariot into the ground, where it was smashed to pieces on contact with the asphalt. Another flew towards him, firing energy blasts. He tried to turn the projectiles aside but, realizing he couldn’t, settled for dodging them. The chariot made a wide, leisurely turn, aiming at him again, but before it could fire he ripped the rider from its seat. The alien plummeted to the street below. A sudden pang of guilt shot through Matt. No one had ever bothered to ask if these aliens were intelligent. What if they were slave soldiers?

With a subtle manipulation he aimed the chariot back at the portal and flew up to the roof. Vahlen was standing there, an expression of impotent rage on her face, staring at the machine. She glanced at him as he approached.

“Captain Rogers wants me to find Loki. I need your gamma ray detector.”

She handed it to him. “I hope your powers are up to the task.” she said.

Matt didn’t say anything. Natasha got on the Quinjet and it flew down into the city to assist the others, who were already falling back as massive wormlike creatures sailed out of the darkness and ploughed through skyscrapers. The noise of the laser fire and the explosions of Stark’s rockets provided staccato notes to accompany the low, haunting sound of collapsing concrete. Matt and Vahlen stared down at the devastation for a moment. She mouthed something in German. He tried in vain to reach through the energy field with his powers, praying he wouldn’t have to confront Loki, then, when he failed, checked the tracker. The radiation from the Tesseract was blocked by the shield, leaving a single, faint source in the building below.

Matt took a deep, painful breath and dove from the rooftop. He decelerated himself to a halt outside a broad window. Inside was a long bridge between the two sides of the building; Loki was crossing it at a brisk walk. Matt reached for the scepter. Loki held on tight and was pulled against the railing. As Matt was about to tear it from his grip, he fired an energy pulse, which Matt barely dodged as it shattered through the window, melting a massive hole in its wake. Loki took a step back and fired again, blasting more glass to molten silica, some of which landed on Matt’s barrier. He flung them away and pulled on the scepter again, but there was already another blue missile headed for him. This one singed his flight suit. The hail of bolts continued as Loki rushed towards the staircase at the side of the room. Matt crashed through the wall into the building and with a monumental effort hurled Loki across the room, away from the stairs.

The god of mischief stood and launched another pulse. Matt fell to the ground to avoid it; the impact was jarring. Loki stretched out his arms and grinned. “You can’t defeat me! And you’re a fool to try. Deny me my birthright and your world will burn, and you will have only yourselves to blame.” he said.

Matt tried to separate him from his weapon but Loki didn’t react in the slightest. A hologram, Matt realized, and strengthened his barrier just in time for the scepter to come down on it like a sledgehammer. Matt felt a fraction of the impact through the barrier. A flash of frustration was visible in the rematerializing Loki’s eyes. He vanished again before Matt could grab him.

His venomous words seemed to come from nowhere. “Do you think I’m the most dangerous thing out there!?” he said, an uncharacteristic exasperation showing through. “You’re condemning your world to destruction. For what? Freedom? Another few decades of war and chaos before it all collapses around your ears? I can protect you.”

“You didn’t protect the people you killed.” Matt said. His clammy hands were shaking. Every breath was torment.

“This is bigger than you and I. The future of your world depends on my success.” Loki said. His voice seemed to circle around Matt, closing in on him inexorably.

“You’re lying.” Matt said.

“I wish I were.” Loki said. There was a crystalline sincerity to his words. The weight of them hung in the air around Matt. He hesitated.

The thunderous boom of toppling masonry sounded from the street behind him. From below, a woman’s scream. Matt shook his head. “I don’t care.” he said.

Loki lunged at him from invisibility, spear outstretched, and the tip bent and shattered on Matt’s impenetrable shield with a loud crack. Matt thrust out his arm and launched Loki across the room into the wall. The broken scepter clattered to the ground. The blue stone seemed intact, but the cutting edge was shattered.

Matt’s nose was beginning to bleed from the effort. He gently levitated the shining spear towards him and grabbed it in his hand, then turned to Loki. The Asgardian smirked and vanished. Matt looked around, leapt into the air and hovered there. He sent more force to his barrier. When no attack came, he decided to head back to the rooftop.

He headed back out through the hole in the wall, and as he was about to soar to the rooftop, a massive serpentine form caught his eye. The leviathan had a broken telephone pole lodged in its hide and was covered in burns and scorch marks. Pieces of its cybernetic flesh had been blown away, leaving yawning wounds spewing blue blood. It scraped past a building, cutting through the outer wall with the wicked struts extending from its carapace, as its flight path decayed. It was headed for a shining skyscraper, as yet untouched by the chaos around.

Matt turned and flew towards it. It raised its ragged maw pitifully, trying to catch him, but he ascended to a spot above its back as its smoking bulk continued to tilt down towards the structure ahead. Sudden laser fire from the ground forced him to use the creature’s body as cover from the Chitauri below. The creature roared in agony and convulsed, shedding blackened, scored armour plates into the ravaged streets. Matt began steering it. Just like driving a car, he thought to himself, laying two gigantic, invisible hands on the creature’s skull and guiding it sideways. He strained and strained and felt the capillaries burst in his nostrils. A throbbing like a jackhammer built in the back of his skull. The creature barely moved. This wasn’t going to work.

A chariot whizzed past him at breakneck speed. It whirled around, the rider aiming its laser gun at Matt, and fearing its discharge he ripped the chariot down, sending it into an irreversible nosedive. Laser fire sprayed from the rider’s weapon as the chariot plummeted into the leviathan’s back and exploded. The tortured creature buckled under the weight and careened into the street, tearing a jagged gash in the asphalt and sending up a massive cloud of dust that confounded the aim of the infantry below.

On the rooftop, Matt’s absence was keenly felt. Vahlen and Selvig stared and thought, as they had many times before over notebooks and pages of scrawled ink, over exams and data sets and spreadsheets and dull computer screens. Selvig went on about the making of the shield, how it was produced by the Tesseract itself. Their two minds were bent towards undoing what Selvig, in his madness, had done. Their words came in fits and starts, possible solutions dashed as soon as they were voiced. The scepter was the only way, Selvig reiterated. Vahlen nodded and took a look at the portal. She thought she felt the icy gaze of the red-boned hierophant from beyond the ultramarine void. She wondered if he was correct in his prophecy of doom. It didn’t matter, of course, she thought to herself. She would live on a human Earth, or otherwise, die.

Loki cleared his throat.

The scientists turned around. Selvig stepped back away from the device and stared at the Asgardian apprehensively. The fear of death was in his eyes. Vahlen’s steely gaze seemed so much less threatening to Loki now, no glass between them, no artificial powers to let her lord circumstance over her betters. Just a woman and a god. Loki smiled in triumph.

He didn’t need to speak to show her the satisfaction he took in her demise. He drew his knife, and as he was about to strike, Vahlen’s gaze shifted to the side. Loki noticed. What was she looking at? Was this a trick? Or could it be…

Loki turned around and was hit by shattering force as Mjolnir slammed into his chest. He flew back and bounced off the energy field, then rolled to the side of the platform. He leapt to his feet and stared at his brother. “Loki!” Thor shouted, surrounded by the scent of ozone, eyes blazing with cerulean power.

Loki threw a hail of knives, but the Odinson’s armour was far too thick for him to be harmed. He leapt forth and swung Mjolnir, striking only empty air. He swung again, and again, his wide strokes driving Loki back towards the platform’s edge. His brother stood still for a moment as Thor closed on him, allowing his hand to close around Loki’s throat; only for the hologram to fade in a blinding flash of gold. Icy metal plunged through the armour, skin and muscle under Thor’s right arm as Loki thrust a knife into his side. Thor dropped his hammer and spun around, delivering a left hook to Loki’s jaw.

Loki staggered back and Thor grabbed him by the wrist and squeezed hard enough to make him drop the knife. Grabbing him by the shoulders, he pulled him to the edge of the platform and forced him to stare out at the carnage below. “Look at this! The madness! The death!” he said, desperate emotion welling up from inside him. “Brother, this is evil! This cannot end in your rule. No good can come of this.”

Loki glanced sidelong at his brother. Tears began to form in his eyes. “It’s too late. It’s… too late to stop it.” he said, sounding as though he were on the verge of breaking down.

Thor shook his head. “No.” he said, his voice soft. “We can, together.” Loki looked at him, his expression unreadable. A faint glimmer of what could be hope came into his eyes. He stared directly at his brother as he rammed a knife past a gap in his chestplate. Thor gasped in surprise and pain, and staggered back. Loki raised his knife, but as he was about to bring it down on the thunder god’s exposed throat a coil wrapped around his weapon arm.

Searing heat shot through his immobilized limb and he cried out. He turned around to see Vahlen holding the other end of a glowing, flame-orange whip, dripping sparks, her shaking hands tracing arcane gestures in the air, her lips moving slightly, those steely eyes fixed on him. “Sorcery.” he mouthed. The gravity of his present predicament washed over him like a wave. He tried to struggle free of the whip, but even as it was beginning to uncoil from his arm Thor was upon him, wrestling him to the ground. Vahlen pinned his arm behind his head with the magical tendril as Thor slammed him down onto the rooftop and placed Mjolnir in the center of his chest, pinning him to the floor. His eyes were void of compassion.. “Your treacherous war is over, Loki.” he spat. “End this! Now!”

“I can’t! And I mustn’t! Do you want to save Earth, or do you simply want to crush me until I’m as pitiful as you always believed I was? Do you want to protect these people or prove you’re better!?” Loki shouted in anguish.

Thor stood. “This devastation is unlike any rescue I have ever seen!” he said. “How can you justify this? How?”

Loki glared up at him with dull eyes, his anger finally spent. The whip uncoiled from his arm and fell to ash as Vahlen’s spell collapsed. She took a deep breath and stood up straight.

“I am not the only threat Earth must face. And of all of them, I would govern most benevolently. I could have been a great king, with the wisdom and power to steer this planet onto a path of peace and safety. Now, it will burn, like Asgard will burn, like all of you will burn.” For once in his life, Loki sounded like he might not be lying. A chill went through Thor’s body.

“Who told you this?” he said. Loki didn’t respond. “Answer me!” he said.

“Thanos.” Loki said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Another rocket descended into the middle of a Chitauri infantry squadron and exploded in a cone of shrapnel and fire, vaporizing them. “Rockets empty.” Jarvis said. Tony surveyed the field. On the left, Hulk grabbed a leviathan and began wrestling it down to earth. On the right, an explosive arrow destroyed another Chitauri chariot. Wick flew by, spraying bullets, and halted near Tony as the last few Chitauri in the area were felled by his fire.

The radio came to life suddenly. It was Central. “Stark. Rogers. Anyone who’s listening. The Council just loosed a nuclear weapon into the city. I tried to stop the jet but I got overruled. You have about a minute before that rocket levels the island. I’m sorry.”

Stark and Wick looked at one another. “A nuke?” Wick said.

“You guys stay here. I’m gonna go get it.” Stark said into the radio. “Jarvis!” he shouted. “Put everything we’ve got into the thrusters!”

Wick saw him begin to ascend and began to travel upwards himself, but veered into the path of a crashing chariot, ablaze with fire from Hawkeye’s arrows, and was knocked off course, crashing through the wall of a nearby building. Tony barely looked back as he locked onto the missile and accelerated to top speed.

Matt landed and handed the Scepter to Vahlen, breathing heavily. “Excellent.” she said, and immediately turned to the Tesseract.

“Matt! This battle finally nears its end. I’m glad to see you still live. Why didn’t you tell me Vahlen was a sorcerer?” Thor said, unusually casual for a man who’d just been stabbed.

Matt looked at Vahlen’s back, then at Thor. “What?” he said. He took his helmet off and switched between glancing nervously at Loki and expectantly at Thor.

Vahlen’s knuckles turned white as her grip tightened around the scepter. The faint, lilting tune from the gem seemed to be coming closer, now. She didn’t wait. She plunged it into the shield, towards the cube. It wanted to go there, she could feel it. She ignored the searing pain. There was sudden shouting. Why was there shouting?

“Wait!” Thor said. He grabbed her shoulder, earning himself a hostile glance, and pointed at the blazing rocket streaking across the sky towards the portal, Stark clinging onto it like a madman. Vahlen’s arm started shaking and she ripped it free of the shield, dropping the scepter. She began massaging her forearm and stepped back, staring up at Stark as he flew further. Numbers danced in her skull. Trajectories. He wasn’t going to make it to the portal. He’d overshoot. Atmospheric detonation.

“Matt.” she said. “Help him get into the portal. He needs altitude.” Matt wiped some blood off his mouth and jogged wearily to the side of the platform. He sailed out into the open sky, above the fire and the rubble, past the haze of alien weapons fire, no longer hesitating. Iron Man needed his help. He hovered in the burning sky and bent his arms; and with them, the rocket turned. The adjustments to its course were fine, but the effort was immense. Lethargy pierced through him like a spear. The rocket was aimed directly at the portal, moving at blinding speed, and then it was through, and Stark with it. Matt’s vision dimmed.

The world stood still with bated breath. 

Thor thrust the scepter in through the shield. The portal began to close.

Matt caught the barest hint of an almighty flash in his peripheral vision, through the hole in space, and averted his eyes. Then, as the gaping maw shut and the nightmare ended, he saw Stark falling through, limp, like a stone to the pavement. He dove like a hawk, reaching out with all the strength he could muster, slowing his fall. The Chitauri were already collapsing into the dust around him, or crashing into the streets. His strength brought Tony to a gentle halt in the center of the road, and then faded, overloaded, in an instant. With a hundred feet left to the ground below, his sight clouded over. His heart threatened to burst in his chest. His lungs felt as though they were on fire. Consciousness failed him.

He fell from the sky.


	12. The Fall of Cronus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The invasion is over. The age of the Avengers has begun.

“...is he waking up?”

The doctor turned around. “He ought to be, Mr. Rogers. Give it time.”

Matt opened his eyes. One of the nurses began fiddling with his IV.

Steve stepped past the doctor just as he seemed to be about to ask a question. “You alright, kid?” he said, slight concern in his voice. Matt nodded.

“What happened? Where is everyone?” he asked.

Steve sat down next to the hospital bed. “I asked if you’re feeling alright.” Steve said. “I’m sure the doctor wants to know too.”

Matt looked at the doctor. “A bit groggy. What happened to me?”

The doctor stepped forward. “Do you remember the fall?” he said.

He did. Violently. “Yes.” he said.

“You suffered a head injury; you were unconscious briefly, then you woke up right around the time we were putting you under for surgery. Fortunately, Dr. Strange volunteered as soon as he heard the news and you got immediate treatment. Frankly, the low severity of your injury is nothing short of miraculous. I’m told you struck the pavement at unsafe speeds even despite Colonel Rhodes’s intervention.” the doctor said. Matt looked at Steve, who waved his hand slightly and mouthed “Later.”

“We also went in and treated the damage to your ribs and lungs, but you’ll be in care for weeks to a month while you recover, and, well, if you were anyone else I’d say your range of movement would be limited for some time, but… Just don’t overexert yourself physically.” The doctor made some notes on the clipboard as Matt began to speak.

“Who’s Doctor Strange?” he said.

“A famed neurosurgeon. He said the damage could have been much more severe if he weren’t around to help you. I doubt you’ll get an opportunity to thank him, though.” The doctor hesitated a moment before finishing. “He’s hard at work treating other patients.”

“Doctor, if you don’t mind…” Steve said.

The doctor nodded. “Vitals are normal, and he’s lucid. That’s all I needed to see. We’ll be running more tests, but those can wait a moment.” He and the nurses filed out of the room, leaving Steve and Matt alone.

“Rhodes is dead, right?” Matt said.

“He is.” Steve said. “The official story is that Rhodes was KIA in the invasion, that he fought in the battle and saved you from the fall. The public doesn’t know Loki controlled his mind.”

“So, wait, did Wick catch me?” Matt asked.

“If you could call it that.” Steve said. “From where I was standing, it looked pretty rough. You’re a tough kid. Glad you’re alright.”

Matt sat up a little more in the bed. “What happened to everyone? Are they alright?”

“Thor took Loki and the cube back to his home planet,” Steve said. Matt looked a little disappointed. “Banner’s okay, he’s been moved to Stark Tower to do R&D. The Council took Vahlen and the scepter back to their headquarters in DC. I’m going up there to work for SHIELD with Agents Barton and Romanoff.”

“What about Mr. Stark?” Matt said.

“He’s at the funeral.” Steve replied.

The sky was a gunmetal grey. Wick was used to being surrounded by black suits, but this was something altogether different, something unpleasantly familiar. The man he was standing next to wore the dress uniform of an Air Force lieutenant colonel. His face was stony. Wick heard quiet sobbing on the other side of him. His skin crawled. The space was too open. There were too many people around. He was a sitting duck. But he could feel Bradford’s disapproving gaze on him from near the podium above the coffin. It held him transfixed in this hellish moment. He’d have to endure a little more suffering yet before he was free.

“Is this thing on?” Tony said, his voice echoing out across the cemetery. There was a pause, then he continued. “I’ve had a rough week, so I’m gonna keep this short. Rhodey always got to the point, and he’d never forgive me for some long-ass speech.” Tony took a drink of water. Wick saw eyebrows being raised in the crowd. “Colonel James Rhodes was a hero. He lived a hero and he died a hero. When I went low, he went high. When I made a mistake, he called me out on it.” He paused. “And now he’s gone. And the world’s a little darker for it. He was the best of us. No hangups, no ego. Rhodes died because we weren’t ready; because I wasn’t ready. Because SHIELD and the Avengers weren’t working closely enough. Because we didn’t understand what we were fighting. Not anymore. Things are going to change. I’m going to avenge you, buddy.”

He paused again and looked at the coffin. For a moment, it almost seemed like he was going to start talking again; then, he adjusted his suit jacket and walked off the stage. Bradford looked stunned, but snapped out of it in time to take control of the murmuring crowd. “Everyone. Everyone, Mr. Stark has had a difficult week. Let me tell you about my friend James Rhodes. It started back when I was a Lieutenant Colonel in Virginia…”

Twenty minutes later, when the speeches were over, Bradford gathered Wick up like a hawk grabbing a mouse and pulled him aside.

“You mind telling me why Tony insisted I come here, and then left?” Wick said.

“I have a hunch.” Bradford said. “Power does that to you. You want to kill a decent man, give him power. He sees a problem and he can’t sit still until he fixes it.”

Wick shook his head.

“Maybe it’s a fool’s errand, but who’ll stop him from doing his work, bring him under control? SHIELD? Fury would never give that order, and I’m glad to have him watching over us for the time being. He’s proven himself.” Bradford said.

“If anyone’s still following me, I could have been killed today.” Wick said.

Bradford nodded, looking regretful. “They should have stopped pursuing you. Even if they didn’t, we have more work. You’ve done everything we asked of you, and you did it well. Catching that kid… You didn’t have to do that. In the video I saw, it looked damn near impossible. And I appreciate it. Enough, in fact, to offer you a job. Beyond the Avengers. Stark, he doesn’t even want you on the team.” Bradford said.

“Because of Rhodes.” Wick said.

Bradford nodded. “How does ‘Iron Patriot’ sound to you? It’s the codename we’re considering for the redesign of the War Machine armour. The armour that, out of all the people in the world, only you have experience with. You’d be a ghost. Serving at the pleasure of the President and the Department of Defense. Working with SHIELD. No one would ever know it was you.” he said.

“Do I have a choice?” Wick said.

Bradford’s expression hardened. “Stark’s right about one thing. He said to me… we ran out of time two days ago. We also ran out of options. Sure, you could go. Head back to ground. Take your dog. Wait for someone to grapple you back into killing. But is that the life you want to live, John? Could you do it, knowing what you know? And will they let you?” he said.

“No.” Wick said.

“So, what do we do now? What happens to us?” Matt’s questions just kept coming.

“You can go home, if you want. There’s no reason for us to stay together, for now. We won. It’s over.” Steve said.

“Loki said something about… the end of the world. That our future depended on him, and his master, taking over now. Did you get any answers from him about that?” Matt asked.

Steve shook his head. “He was probably lying,” he said. “or too far gone to realize what he was doing. I’ve seen a lot of people like that.”

Matt nodded, but looked uncertain. “And, there’s this other thing… Vahlen did something, up on the roof. Thor said she was… a sorcerer. That she used magic. Do you know anything about that?” he said.

“As far as I can tell, magic isn’t real. That said, last week, as far as I could tell, aliens weren’t real.” Steve said, smiling. “It sure would explain a lot. Everything she does looks like magic to me, after all. I’ll ask her about it when I’m in Washington and get back to you. Thanks for telling me. Is there anything else you wanted to know?”

“Yeah. Did Thor say anything before he left?” Matt said.

“He said he had to bring Loki to justice, but that he’d be back once they fixed their… ‘Bifrost’. He also said to tell you that you did a good job.” Steve said. “We’re all proud of you. Even if a lot of the others couldn’t be here today.”

“Thanks.” Matt said.

“You should rest up. Take a break. They’ll call on you again one day, or someone will. Stark thinks things are going to change in a big way, he’s going back home to work on… something. But you deserve some downtime.” He leaned in closer. “When you’re ready, you’ve got some visitors. They’re just being told you’re awake now.”

Matt took a deep breath. It still hurt a little. He wondered how he was going to explain any of this to his mother.

Four days later, in Washington...

“Retiring?” Fury said. “Retiring from what?”

“XCOM. The project’s being officially shut down. Pierce offered to take another look, but I gave notice today that I wasn’t interested.” Bradford said.

The distant drone of a helicopter’s rotors faded into background noise. Fury stood up from his desk.

“I’m sorry, John.” he said.

“Don’t be. You won fair and square.” Bradford said. “We’d never get XCOM off the ground until the aliens were on our doorstep. And at that point, what chance would we have? But the Avengers, they’re something else. People look up to them. They saved the island of Manhattan, by themselves. They destroyed an alien invasion force. I have to hand it to you, Fury, your team knows how to make an entrance.”

“Gods and monsters.” Fury said in acknowledgement. There was a pause. “So, what now?” he asked.

“Project Insight. Top secret work for SHIELD. Something to do with the new Helicarrier fleet. The Minerva is a wonderful ship, but it looks like I’m needed elsewhere.” Bradford said.

Fury shook his hand. “Good luck.” he said.

As Bradford was leaving, he turned back to Fury. “I don’t need luck,” he said. “I learned from the best.”


	13. What Lies Beyond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An alien lord reflects on his failure. He does not dwell on it.

Somewhere past the edge of the uttermost void, where the black stones spat out by a violence as old as creation whirl madly under the dim, pale light of a blue sun, a tyrant sat, enthroned in a space that once buzzed with warlike life. Now, it was still and cold. The hierophant knelt behind him. The tyrant did not even deign to look upon his servant. The stars glared down at him mockingly like the trillion eyes of some monstrous spider, in whose web he was caught.

“Humans. They are not the cowering wretches we were promised.” the Other said. “They stand; they are unruly, and therefore cannot be ruled. I am sorry, master; I should have known when the scientist confronted me. She could not have known her transit across the void was an illusion, and yet she held fast. They have the mind of God. To challenge them is to court death.”

“Your failure is, for the time being, forgiven.” the tyrant said. “Does the old one still sleep?”

“Yes, master.” the Other said.

“So long as any piece of your lord still resides on that wretched rock, we cannot afford to make any more such mistakes. The destroyer’s awakening is nigh, and chaos will follow with it.” the tyrant said. Worries stole across his waking mind as he spoke. His mind churned with plans and changes to plans.

“I understand, master. What shall we do?” the Other said.

The tyrant stood. It was time to act.

"There is work to be done. Summon Ronan the Accuser." the tyrant said, his tone even and calm.

“And what of the humans?” the Other said.

“Fear not,” Thanos said. “They may yet serve our purposes. And in time, they shall all serve their ultimate purpose.” His sight grew long and his gaze, distant. His eyes cut through the dark and brightened the shining flanks of the asteroids. The stars gleamed reassuringly where once they had menaced. The fear had passed, and destiny’s hand grasped at him from the dark again. He took it.

“Summon the Elders to my vessel; their assistance will be needed on Earth. Our plans remain in motion, and one failure may yet catalyze a greater success. Perfectly balanced, as all things should be.”


End file.
